


You're On Your Own (But Not Really)

by SincerelyV



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alex Gets Adopted By Washingtons, But...They Find Out Who Did It, Gen, I Don't Know Anymore, I Guess That Constitutes As A Mystery, It's Modern Era, Just enjoy, Kind Of A Mystery?, Lams - Freeform, M/M, Other, There's a Murder, They Try To Solve It, Washingdad, You Probably Figured That Out Already, like halfway through, oh well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-11-07 05:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 67,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11051847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincerelyV/pseuds/SincerelyV
Summary: After his cousin's murder, Alex is left in the care of the Washingtons.At first, he isn't sure what to make of it. But they welcome him with open arms and treat him as one of their own and, before he knows it, Alex begins to feel like he belongs somewhere for the first time in years.But when one of his newfound friends comes forward saying he knows who killed his cousin, Alex is forced to look back at the night he's tried so hard to forget and expose the killer.Meanwhile, George just wants to keep his children safe. But with a killer on the loose and four kids to keep track of...Well, he tries his best. Unfortunately, his best isn't enough when the killer attempts to strike again. This time on his only witness: Alex.8/23/18- not abandoned! Just on hiatus until further notice!





	1. Chapter One: Lee Likes to Doodle; Alex Likes to Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his cousin's murder, Alex is left stranded in the police station with no clue of what's going to happen next.

Alex didn’t talk much.

This never used to be a problem. But when stuck in a police station in the middle of the night for the murder of the cousin he barely knew, well, it could be an issue. He decided very quickly that he didn’t like it there. It was too loud and he didn’t like the sad glances people gave him, or the whispers that always followed.

It didn’t help much that a woman - Cindy, was it? - had been hovering near him for the past hour, constantly asking if he was okay, if he needed anything, and always, _always_ reassuring him that things were going to be okay. He tried to be polite, he really did. Nodding at all the right times and shaking his head when needed, but he could only say no to a glass of water so many times before it got old.

It hadn’t been a big deal, really.  People died all the time, so what if he’d seen it? He’d seen his mother die too, had nearly died with her, nobody had made such a fuss then. The only reason it was a problem, he guessed, was because his cousin had been his last shot, the only family he’d had left in America; meaning no one had any idea what to do with him now. The man who’d first found him, Chief Lee, as Alex had been instructed to call him, had mentioned social services, but he wasn’t sure what had happened with that idea.

Alex found it strange, there was the part of him that didn’t feel anything at Nathaniel’s death, but there was the other part of him too. The half that was still trying to process exactly what had happened.  Yes, he understood Nathaniel was dead. But it was like the fact had yet to reach his brain. He’d been moving through the night like a dream; like he was going to wake up any moment and everything would turn out fine.

So, like any competent human being would, _Chief Lee_ had left him, a child the paramedics had deemed to be _in shock_ , alone in the waiting area with only a middle aged woman bemoaning the trials of life between him and the front door.

Alex bounced slightly in his seat, he was starting to hate this room. What, with the whispers, that seemed to increase with every minute, and the way the walls seemed to inch closer and closer every time he blinked.

The whole situation was leaving Alex nervous and more than a little fidgety and it didn’t help that no one had bothered to tell Alex much of anything. The only thing he’d heard so far was that a guy named Washington had been called in to keep an eye on him until things could be settled. Though the only way he knew that, was because someone had come in and spoken to Cindy about what was happening. They’d spoken like Alex wasn’t even there, discussing his future like he was some puppy being put up for adoption. One would think that keeping the only witness in the case up to date would be the smart thing to do, but the later it got, the more Alex began to realize that wasn’t quite true.

As for this _Washington_ , he had yet to arrive. Apparently he lived a ways away, but would be at the station soon enough. According to Cindy, he was good with children. She mentioned that he’d picked up kids before, apparently despite the distance, he was down here quite a bit.

Cindy fell silent for a few minutes after that, he’d even dared to hope that she’d run out of steam. But soon enough was right back into her constant stream of chatter. The room was never silent because of her and that alone made him want to scream.

Alex squinted out into the darkness, he wasn’t sure of the time anymore, but it was late enough that the streets were mostly empty and not a soul had passed by in the last half hour. It was like there was no one else in the world, like it was only him and Cindy left. He couldn’t live in a place like that.

It was another half an hour before Alex finally snapped and tried to make a run for it. He’d decided to wait a while in the hopes that Washington would show up and fix this. But when he didn’t, Alex had to question whether or not anyone was really coming. For all he knew, the guy didn’t even exist and they had only mentioned him to keep Alex in one place. Whatever the case, he didn’t have much time to find out.

 

* * *

 

He hadn’t even planned on going anywhere, but Cindy had asked - once again, really, she asked every five minutes - if he’d like a glass of water and he’d nodded. Thinking, maybe, he could get a moment of silence. But then Alex had been alone, and it was like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. He couldn’t breath, he needed out, so he’d run for it.

He didn’t even make it past the front door.

Instead, Alex barreled headfirst into a man’s chest.

He yelped as the man jerked back in surprise. Alex may have muttered an apology of some kind, he couldn’t remember. He tried to dart around the man, ducking his head low and shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he scurried for the door. But a heavy hand on his shoulder stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Hold on a moment there. Isn’t it a bit late for a boy your age to be out?”

Alex tensed, then ran for it, leaping for the door when, suddenly, arms were around him, pulling him back inside. Panic seized in Alex’s chest as he tried to push away, to just _get out_ , but the man’s voice was telling him to stop, to calm down a second. When he didn’t, Alex’s arms were caught and pinned to his sides as the man knelt down to look at him.

“Hey, calm down a second, it’s all right. I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised.

Alex didn’t respond, he was too busy trying to wriggle away. His grip was loose, but tight enough that Alex was forced to stay put. He hated being stuck, really hated it. It made him want to scream.

The man looked at him in a way Alex figured was supposed to be calming, and maybe it would’ve been if he’d been thinking clearly. “You must be the one Lee called me about. I’ve heard you had quite the night.”

He didn’t answer, instead shifting unsteadily on his feet, looking anywhere but the man’s face. He was bald, Alex noted distantly, and his head seemed to shine beneath the fluorescent lighting.

He watched Alex carefully for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together as he appeared to mulled something over. Finally, he spoke, “I’m going to let go now,” he told him. “But I need you to stay put, okay?”

Alex only nodded at the man. He figured this was Washington, he’d mentioned Lee, after all, and he was the only person to arrive in the past hour who hadn’t been dressed like an officer.

Washington -he could only assume that’s who it was - dropped his hands and stood. He took a half-step away from Alex and looked him up and down.

Alex only bit back a glare and shrunk into his hoodie focusing instead on getting his breathing back in order.

“I suppose you’re not much of a talker.”

 _“I used to be!_ ” He nearly said, nearly shouted, really. But he’d decided a long time ago that he didn’t talk anymore, not when the last time he did nearly got him killed. Besides, screaming probably wouldn’t get him out of here any sooner.

Washington’s eyes narrowed, “did they just leave you out here?” He shook his head. “Of course they did,” he muttered. “Why don’t we find Chief Lee? Then we can figure out what to do from there.”

Seeing that there would - again - be no response, Washington began to lead Alex from the waiting room and further into the station. He hadn’t payed much attention before, but the place was unusually busy for this time of night. Was that his fault?

He followed numbly after Washington, not really paying much attention until Cindy decided to reappear. He noticed she had never gotten his water.

“Mr.Washington!” She exclaimed, tossing her hands into the air. “I’m _so_ glad you’re here. This poor boy needs someone to look after him and you’re just the person!”

“Thank you, Miss Gardner. Would you happen to know if Chief Lee is in at the moment?”

Cindy nodded, “yep! I just saw him a few minutes ago, he was a bit crabby though, just so you know.” Her voice was unnaturally chipper for someone stuck at work this late.

“I’m sure I can handle him, thank you again, Miss Gardner. This way, son,” he placed a hand against Alex’s back and led them away, he noticed that Washington walked a little faster than before.

They passed by several others that Alex recognized from earlier that night as well. Most of them looked exhausted now, with dark circles under their eyes as their fingers clacked furiously against keyboards or as they spoke quietly with coworkers. They hardly spared him a glance and those that did were filled with pity. Pity for the poor kid with nowhere to go.

They stopped at a doorway marked _Charles Lee_. Washington knocked softly and entered. Alex slipped behind him, letting himself disappear behind Washington. He’d met Lee earlier that night, only for the man to ditch him the first chance he got. It’d been pretty easy to decide that he didn’t like Lee after that. He wore too much gel in his dark hair and his uniform was a bit too tight for Alex’s taste.

Upon entering, Lee looked up, lazily glancing toward them before turning back to whatever he had been writing before. Though, from where he stood, Alex swore it looked more like a doodle of Lee riding a horse into battle, odd.

“George!” He said, finally shoving the drawing away and standing. “Glad to see you arrived safely. I see you’ve met our new friend.”

“Indeed, I have.” Washington - George? - replied easily.

“Should I dare to hope that you’ve gotten him to talk to you?”

Alex shook his head, not today, not ever, if he had any say in it.

“The boy has been through quite a lot tonight, I don’t blame him for staying silent. Perhaps we should worry more about where he will stay right now and focus on the rest later.”

He noticed Lee’s fingers curl into a fist at his sides, Alex had a feeling Lee didn’t much like Washington. “Of course, the poor child has had an eventful evening, did you have somewhere in mind? I’m afraid the only place I can offer is a spare cot here at the station.”

Washington sent him a sharp look, “until a new guardian can be located, I think it best that he stays with me. I’m sure Martha would love the company and this way he will have somewhere safe to stay in the meantime.”

Alex took a step away and looked angrily between the two men. So he didn’t have any say in this. Of course, a part of him had been expecting that. He hadn’t been asked much of anything all night. All these people did was decide everything for him, so why would now be any different?

Lee thought a moment, apparently deciding Washington’s idea was better than being stuck with some kid all night, and nodded. “I believe that would be best. Yes, he’ll go with you for now and if no one else can be found, well, we’ll deal with that later.”

Lee turned away, apparently done with their discussion, not that Alex had really been a part of it. Washington ushered him out of the office, whispering as they went. “Sorry about him. Charles has never been one for kids,” _or people_ , Alex wanted to say. “But why don’t we head home? Until we know what’s going to happen, you’re more than welcome to stay with my family. We always love having a new face around the house.”

Alex only nodded, watching his feet. He didn’t want to go, he just wanted to go home. He should have tried to get out sooner. Or better yet, just bolted when Washington had let him go back in the waiting room? The guy couldn’t be that fast, could he? Then again, he glanced at Washington, he _was_ pretty tall. And big, a lot bigger than Alex was. Alex groaned, he’d have been caught again before he made out the door.

 

* * *

 

They made it back to the waiting room before Washington stopped him.

“Before we leave, why don’t we clear the air a bit. Does that sound okay?” He asked, stopping just in front of the door. Alex figured it was his subtle way of preventing a repeat of earlier.

He nodded and plopped into a chair.

Washington laughed, “I won’t take that long, so no need to get comfortable. I only wanted to get introductions out of the way. I wouldn’t want you to be leaving with a stranger.”

Alex only nodded again, not saying a word. He hadn’t realized it until now, but Washington had yet to say who he was. Alex only knew from his own assumptions. He’d been about to leave with a complete stranger and hadn’t given it a second thought. The thought was a bit unsettling, if he was honest.  

“My name is George Washington,” he said. “I live about an hour from here, but I come down often to help out. Would you mind telling me who _you_ are?”

Alex hesitated, he’d known this was coming. He’d been lucky to avoid it for as long as he had. Honestly, he was surprised that Lee hadn’t forced it out of him the moment they’d met. A part of him screamed no, don’t tell him, don’t let him know anything. They’ll use it against you! But another part, now more logical part, if he was honest, disagreed saying, _what’s the worst that could happen?_ And really, what was the harm? He was already knee-deep in more trouble than he’d ever managed to get into before.

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to, but I need to know. If you’re going to be staying with me, I’d like to address you as something other than son,” Washington said softly.

He looked up at him angrily, yeah, there was no way that nickname was sticking.

“It’s Alex.” He stated, “and _only_ Alex.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Welcome to the story and all that.  
> Let's just get a few things out of the way real quick, then you can move on with your life, promise.  
> First of all, I plan to update regularly (the first few chapters are already written out and I've got a bit planned as well), but if for some reason I don't, I apologize in advance.  
> Secondly, I'm aware that quite a bit of the legal matters in this story are not factually correct. Unfortunately, I'm having to work off what I know (which isn't much), so again, I apologize. But please, bare with me, I'm doing the best I can.  
> Finally, please know that the way I present the characters in this story isn't necessarily how I see them. Take Charles Lee for example, in this story, he's shown to be rude and generally a jerk. But honestly, I don't have anything for or against the guy. I just used him as a bit of an enemy because I know that in the musical, Lee wasn't the biggest fan of Washington and Alex didn't like him either, so I used him as a side enemy.  
> Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I don't want people to hate, or think I hate, a character because of how I choose to present them. So please, let's keep the hate to a minimum.  
> Anyway, if you've stuck around to read all this, thanks, I promise not to write this much later on. Enjoy the story (my first one on here!) and I'll see you later!


	2. Chapter Two: Alex Sleeps; George Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George and Alex arrive at the Washington residence and George has a chat with Martha.

Alex had fallen asleep about twenty minutes into the drive home, leaving George in silence. Not that he had expected Alex to say much anyway.

To say that this was how he planned to spend his Friday night was...Wrong, to say the least. When Lee had called, he’d been about to go to dinner with Martha and their son, Lafayette.

A part of him had considered leaving Alex until morning. It had been a while since he and his family had truly been able to spend time together, often because work got in the way, and, like any good father would, he wanted to spend time with them. But Lee had a way of getting what he wanted in the end. It wasn’t that the man had a particularly impressive way with words, normally he’d say what was needed, then hang up. But George figure that was what did it. The way Lee could take something absolutely heart wrenching and deliver the news without so much as batting an eyelash.

He couldn’t leave anyone alone to deal with that, especially a kid. Not while knowing that Lee wouldn’t take the time to properly help him. He’d been more than willing to leave Alex at the station until someone else whisked him away. Until he was someone else’s responsibility.

Another part of him, however, was relieved. If he hadn’t shown up, Alex would have been long gone by the time George arrived the next day. He’d tried to run and that alone told him something was wrong. Who knew what would have happened if Alex had been out there on his own. Especially now, with what Alex had seen and the culprit still out there, George could only imagine there was someone just waiting to find him alone. Alex had been the only witness and what good criminal would knowingly leave the only person who could land them behind bars out there and able to convict them.

The thought alone made him drive a little faster, anyone who was willing to hurt a child was a monster in George’s book. He’d been working with kids for years now, mostly through teaching, but his son was a foster child and he hadn’t exactly been in the best situation before coming to America. After learning that, and having several students with similar problems, he’d become something of a mother hen, as his wife called him. He really didn’t see it, but Martha was a mother, so George supposed she’d know better than him. But even if that was the case, he didn’t mind much. He helped children and he loved to do it, even if he had to go out of his way at times, he didn’t see anything wrong with that. If he could stop one kid like Alex from getting hurt or dumped on the street, then he’d gladly make the drive up to the station.

He glanced back at Alex. Before they’d left, he had opted to curl up in the backseat, as far from George as he could get. In the morning, he’d try to get the kid to talk some. Maybe get him to describe what had happened. Or at least talk about where he could go. He didn’t mind having Alex there, obviously, but if he had any kind of family left, then George had to get him there.

And _that_ brought him to the next item on the list. _Was_ there anyone out there? He hadn’t missed that Alex had only given his first name. It was smart, especially with Alex being such a common name, it would make him that much harder to find anything about. Yet another reason to believe there was something more going on.

He sighed, an hour and the kid already had George wrapped around his finger. He glanced back, Alex had turned his away so he faced the seat. He’d work this out, he didn’t how yet, or even what he was fixing, but he’d do it. Somehow.

 

* * *

 

Forty minutes later, they pulled into the Washington estate. George was half tempted to just carry the kid inside - Lord knew he was small enough for it - but if he did and the kid woke up, well, he didn’t want to scare him.

Instead, he reached back and gently shook his shoulder. He saw Alex tense, “Alex,” he said quietly. “It’s okay, you fell asleep. We’re here.”

He relaxed, just a little. His shoulders seeming to sag as he woke up and remembered where he was. He nodded and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

George climbed out first, waiting patiently as Alex practically fell out of the car. He offered to carry him inside, but Alex shook his head so hard George thought his ears might fly off.

They worked their way inside in silence, Alex hugging his chest and George working to find his house key as they shuffled along. Finally, they made it to the front door and George jammed the key in the lock, allowing them to stumble inside.

The lights were on, Martha must have waited up for them. “Martha?” He called. “I’m back.”

He’d expected his wife to appear around the corner, coming from the living room, book in hand grinning as she spotted Alex. Instead however, he felt something - or someone - latch onto him from behind, cheering, “Papa!”

Lafayette, of course.

He always _had_ been curious when it came to George’s work. His son dropped from his back and bounced in front of him, eyes landing on Alex, who in turn pressed closer to George. It was nearly one in the morning, how could Lafayette possibly be so awake?

“Is this him?” He asked, peering closely at Alex.

He nodded, “Lafayette, this is Alex. Alex, this is my son. Don’t worry, he’s not always this hyper.”

Lafayette grinned, “ _oui_ , I’m tired right now. But I promise to be wide awake tomorrow.”

George bit back a laugh, somehow, he didn’t think that was what Alex had been hoping to hear.

“Son, why don’t you take Alex to his room, it’s been a long day and I’m sure he’d like to get some proper rest.”

He nodded excitedly, taking Alex by the hand and beginning to drag him down the hallway. Alex looked back at him with panicked eyes, but George could only shrug and before they had disappeared around the corner.

Martha chuckled, “I do hope he takes it easy on the boy, he looked rather frail. George, what happened?”

He sighed, before he left, he hadn’t had much time to fully explain what was happening; only that he had to leave and would be bringing a kid back with him. Of course, that alone had been enough for Martha to prepare the guest room and wait up long past her usual bedtime to make sure everything was okay. God, he loved her.

He checked that they were alone before speaking, “Something...Bad happened, Martha and he didn’t have anywhere to go. I had to bring him here, I couldn’t leave the poor kid with Charles, the man wanted him to spend the night at the station.”

Martha’s hand flew to her mouth, she glanced down the hallway where the boys had disappeared. “Where were his parents? Surely someone is responsible for him.”

He shook his head, “No parents, but his cousin, Nathaniel, was. He’s said five words to me since we’ve met, so I don’t know the whole story, but I have a feeling there’s a lot more to it than we know yet.”

Martha bit her lip, “George...What exactly did the boy see?”

He didn’t speak for a moment, “I’m unsure of the details, but from what I’ve been told, there was a break in, things got bad, and a gun went off on his cousin. Apparently, he was only other person there, the police are worried someone may come after him because of what he saw.”

Martha’s eyes went wide, “so you brought him here? George, what about Lafayette? What if this person comes here and tries to hurt _us_?” She paused a moment, forcing her eyes shut and taking a breath, before she continued. “I understand that you want to help him, I do. But promise me, George, promise me that no one will come here.”

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “that’s why I brought him here, Martha. That’s why they called _me_ . No criminal is going to come this far out for some kid who _might_ have seen their face. I made sure no one followed me home, we’re perfectly safe,” he promised.

She looked up at him, frowning, “if you say so. I’m going to fetch Lafayette, it’s time he got some sleep. Why don’t you check on Alex, he knows you better, so I imagine you’ll be welcome sight.” She yawned, “I’ll see you in a little while, dear.” Martha turned on her heel and slowly made her way down the hall and soon, George heard the creak of a bedroom door.

He waited a moment, tiredly running a hand through his hair, then went to the guest bedroom, and knocked lightly. Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, he let himself in.

Alex was curled up on the bed. He was still in that enormous hoodie of his, but it appeared that Lafayette had convinced him to borrow a pair of his old pajama bottoms in place of the ratty jeans he had worn earlier. He hadn’t bothered with a blanket.

Alex was curled up on the bed. He was still in that enormous hoodie of his, but it appeared that Lafayette had convinced him to borrow a pair of his old pajama bottoms in place of the ratty jeans he had worn earlier. He hadn’t bothered with a blanket. He nearly laughed, Alex had managed to pull most of his body inside the hoodie, so only his feet peeked out. Like it was his own blanket. _Nearly_ laughed, but stopped himself, Alex's cheeks still had tears running down them, his heart sank. No parents and now no cousin, kid must have been terrified.

He’d forgotten to turn the lights out too, though he imagined that had been at the bottom of his list. George walked to the edge of the bed and took the quilt folded there and carefully draped it across Alex. Behind him, headlights flashed in the window, he watched as a car passed by. He was sure no one had followed them here, there was no way he was letting anything happen to anyone under this roof.

As long as he was here, Alex was going to be just fine. They all were, George would make sure of that.            

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I plan to upload the next one in a few days. I don't really have a schedule, it's mainly just whenever I have a chance.  
> I have a question though, does anyone have a suggestion for a name for this story? Normally I don't have trouble naming my work...But this one is proving to be an issue. If anyone has an idea, please, let me know. I'll give credit for it, I just seriously need something that isn't 'I'll Think Of Something Later'...So yeah, help would be much appreciated.  
> Anyway, see you in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter Three: Lafayette Talks A Lot; Alex Gets Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon arriving at the Washington residence, Alex meets their son, Lafayette, and gets some cool pajamas.

He was beginning to realize that Lafayette was something of a human Chihuahua. In the few seconds they had known one another, he had drug Alex down the hall and into what he assumed was his room for the night, bouncing the entire way and chattering about how excited he was to have Alex there.

He’d tried listening to everything he said at first, he really had, but after only five minutes, Alex realized that Lafayette talked too fast for him to actually process any of what he was saying. Not that it really seemed to matter as he also hadn’t given Alex much of a chance to respond, not that he was complaining. He didn’t want to seem rude, especially with how nice he’d been. Considering Alex had shown up in the dead of night without so much a word as to why, Lafayette had taken it rather well. Was this a regular occurrence around here?

However, finally, he slowed down and grinned down at Alex. “I am sorry, I’ve been talking for quite a while now. Please, I’m sure you have plenty to say as well.”

He looked away, chewing the inside of his cheek, “I don’t-I don’t talk much. But thanks, it’s kinda nice to be around someone my age again.”

The corner of Lafayette’s mouth quirked up, “of course, the police station is rather stuffy, isn’t it? And do not worry about it, we’ll soon change that.”

Alex looked at him, confused. How exactly did he plan to change anything? It wasn’t like he would be here long, then they would never see each other again.

“My friends and I,” he explained. “Are, as my mother says, quite the chatterboxes. After some time with us, I believe you will be too.”

He couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his lips, Lafayette was very...Open and seemed to really like talking to Alex, though maybe that was because he didn’t interrupt. Either way, Alex didn’t mind. He’d never had as much a problem talking with other kids,  he’d always found them to be more trustworthy than adults, mainly ones like Lee; the ones who didn’t care. Other kids always understood and, most of the time, were the ones who helped him out, while guys like Lee kept walking.

“I have these, also.” Lafayette held up a small green bundle. “Mama thought you’d like something to sleep in instead of what you are wearing now. I am sure we could find you some clean clothes in the morning as well.” Lafayette said, passing a pair of pajama pants to him.

He nodded his thanks and grinned when he noticed the pajamas were dotted with little dinosaurs.

“I am sorry, we weren’t sure what size you would be, so Mama and I found some of my old pairs. I hope you do not find T-rexes too embarrassing.”

He shook his head, “it’s fine, thank you so much.”

Lafayette grinned triumphantly, “six words, see? You are already on your way, I will make a _chatterbox_ of you yet.” He frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. “I am afraid I must go to bed now, I wish I could stay up with you, but Mama will be upset if I am up much longer. Good night, _mon ami_ , I will see you tomorrow?”

Alex nodded.

“Wonderful, I will see you in the morning then. If you need me before then, I will be just across the hall.”

The door clicked shut behind him and Alex was left alone.

As it turned out, the pajamas fit just fine, albeit a little short. But he couldn’t care less about that, the only thing that concerned Alex was how nice it felt to wear something other than worn jeans with one too many holes for them to be considered cool.

He leaned against the mattress and curled up. He’d get back up in a few minutes, he still needed to figure out how he was going to get out of here. But being, well, he didn’t know how far he was from the city, he would have to do some snooping before he could get anywhere. It didn’t help that he had no clue where he was even going to go. His cousin had been the only family he had left, now Nathaniel was dead. What was he supposed to do? Nathaniel hadn’t been the best guardian, to be sure. But he’d given Alex a place to stay and helped him get to into school. If he was dead, who would do that now? Some stranger the government decided to stick him with? He’d rather take his chances alone.

Alex tucked his knees to his chest, hot tears had begun to trail down his cheeks, this was the first time since the break in that Alex had actually had a chance to process everything. Nathaniel was dead.

Just like his mother, just like everyone back in the village on Nevis. _Oh God_ , Alex was on his own now. Before he’d been able to get work in the village, then he’d stayed with Nathaniel, but now? No one was left. Was he going to spend the rest of his life like this? Constantly bouncing around, with no idea what was going to happen next. He couldn’t _do_ that. Alex wouldn’t be sixteen for months yet, meaning he still had two years until he could legally be on his own. Two years of who knew what to come.

But if he ran, then where would he go? And what about school? He _had_ to finish school, that was why he came to America in the first place, so he could actually have a chance in life, he couldn’t throw that away. He just couldn’t.

 

* * *

 

    Alex must have fallen asleep,  because when he woke next, he was covered by a blanket he didn’t remember taking and the sun was just beginning to spill over the horizon. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Alex sat up, letting the blanket pool around him. The clock read five thirty, meaning he’d only slept for about four hours, but it was still the best he’d slept in a while.

    He slid off the bed and peeked out into the hallway, it was still dark. So he figured the Washingtons would still be sleeping - he imagined they were tired after being up so late - so he didn’t have to worry about bothering them.

Alex crept from the bedroom as quietly as he could, the last thing he wanted was to upset the everyone by waking them this early in the morning. All he wanted was to get a glass of water, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d drank anything. If he remembered right, he’d seen the kitchen last night when they arrived, meaning that it must be near the front of the house.  

But which way was the right way? He hadn’t seen much of the place last night, - thanks, Lafayette - but one thing he had noticed was the size. The Washington’s home was rather large and with the hallway leading two different directions, he had no idea where he was to go. He’d never understand why three people needed so much space.

Alex decided to go right, if anything, maybe he’d be able to loop around somehow and find himself in kitchen. He walked as quietly as he could. With no idea where anyone’s bedrooms were, he tried to avoid creaking floorboards. Lafayette had mentioned he was across the hall, but that still left George and - what had he called his wife? - Martha. It would make sense for their bedroom to be near Lafayette’s, but then again, what did he know?  And knowing his luck, their room would be right next to the first loose floorboard he managed come across.

It was funny, just a few hours earlier the house was bright and, he may even say, cheery, with light at every corner. But now, in the early hours of dawn, the house was dark and eerie, the only slivers of light coming from through the curtains.

Voices broke the silence as Alex came to a cracked doorway near the end of the hall. Alex froze.

On the bright side, he’d found their room. Unfortunately, if they came out now, they’d catch him and think he was eavesdropping and maybe he was...But, did it really count if he’d done it by mistake?

“George, I just...Do you have to go back up there today? You both are still exhausted and I doubt they’ll have found much yet. Honestly, they should give you a break,” he heard a woman say, Martha, he assumed.

“I know, I would much rather us stay here, but Charles still needs information on Alex. The kid isn’t going to like it, but he’s going to have to doing some talking today.”

They were talking about him, they had to be. He was being taken back up to be ditched with Lee.

He heard Martha huff, Alex could imagine her shaking her head, “don’t you leave him alone with that man. You’ll be with Alex the entire time, you hear me?”

Washington chuckled, “believe me, I plan on it.”

Alex could feel his hands beginning to shake. He didn’t want to go back there; alone or no. He couldn’t go, he couldn’t face that yet.

He stumbled away from the door, his feet finally finding that creaky floorboard he’d been so worried about. He heard them pause and footsteps coming to the door. Alex froze as Washington appeared in the doorway, he seemed surprised to see him there. Alex didn’t blame him.

His mouth worked to explain what he was doing and exactly how he absolutely had not been eavesdropping on them as his hands still shook at his sides.He managed to come up with about ten different reason as to why he was there, all of which would have made perfect sense had he been able to say them. Instead, however, the only thing that managed to slip out was a quiet, “water,” as he pointed down the hall where he assumed the kitchen was.

Washington stared at him a second before seemed to realize what Alex had meant. He nodded, seeming to relax a little, apparently deciding Alex must not have heard anything.

“Come on, I’ll show you where to go, this house can be a bit confusing in the dark,” he said, leading the way to the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

Alex had been way off. The kitchen had turned out to be in the other direction entirely. Washington led the way and, once they arrived, took a glass from a cabinet Alex couldn’t reach, and filled it. Afterward, he’d finished, Alex had expected him to return to bed, but instead he’d taken a seat across from where Alex sat at the table. He didn’t say anything for a while and Alex wondered if his only goal was to make him uncomfortable.

“Alex,” he said finally.

He looked up, lacing his fingers together nervously.

“I hope you rested well?” He asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

Alex nodded, his foot was bouncing, it always did when he got nervous.

“Good, I trust Lafayette didn’t cause you any trouble?”

He shook his head quickly, “no-no, sir. He was very kind.” Did Lafayette often cause trouble?

Washington smiled, “I figured. I know he can be a bit...Overwhelming at first, but he means well. He seems to really like you too, he went on for nearly ten minutes to Martha about how excited he is to have you here.”

Alex pulled his legs close, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“I wanted to mention, we have to speak with Chief Lee later today, I have a feeling you already heard that though, didn’t you?” Alex felt his face go red, Washington chuckled.

“It’s all right,” he said. “I know you weren’t trying to. But next time, try to respect our privacy, all right?”

He nodded, “sorry,” he muttered.

“Don’t be, now, why don’t you go back to bed, you still look rather tired, Alex. When you wake up we’ll work on finding you some clean clothes, all right?”

Alex stood and nodded once again. A few more hours would definitely be nice. Now all he had to do was find his bedroom again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've officially met Lafayette! I hope I wrote him well, if not, let me know how I can improve, I'm always looking for constructive criticism!


	4. Chapter Four: Alex Talks; Lafayette Fights For His Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette accompanies George and Alex to the police station, where he finds himself fighting for his newfound friend.

Lafayette decided a long time ago that he would stick by his friends, no matter what the circumstance. At the time, of course, he hadn’t expected that promise to entail marching into the New York City police station alongside a boy he had met only hours earlier. But a promise was a promise, and he had every intention of keeping it as he walked alongside Alexander into the building.

They entered the station, to find Lee waiting for them.

“Boys!” He greeted, “how nice it is to see you again. If you’ll follow me, we can get this done quickly.” Without waiting for a response, Lee turned and began leading them through the maze of offices and hallways that made up the building. Lafayette figured that Lee thought he had better things to do than deal with some kid’s life changing trauma.

Beside him, Alex couldn’t seem to stay still. He bounced nervously as they followed the Chief, his arms swinging wildly at his sides like pendulums on a clock and his eyes darted around in his skull, drinking in everything around them. Meanwhile Washington didn’t seem to be much better off, he walked slightly ahead of them, one hand in his pocket as the other tossed his keys in the air. A habit he often picked up when stressed.

Lafayette caught Alex’s hand as it went by. “Be calm, _mon ami_ , it will be fine,” he whispered, squeezing his hand.

Alex tried to smile back, but it failed to reach his eyes. Lafayette bit his lip, perhaps tomorrow he would introduce Alex to his friends, they were always able to cheer him up, surely the same would be for Alex.  If anything, maybe they would be able to get him talking a bit more, Alex had a lot to say, he could tell. All he had to do was get Alex to say it.

Lee stopped outside his office and let the door swing open. He walked around his desk and sank into his seat like a king on his throne.

“Please, sit down,” he gestured to the seats in front of them. There were only two, so he and Alex pressed into one together, Lee watched them curiously, Lafayette only shrugged.

“George, I see you’ve brought your son.”

Washington nodded, “he wanted to make sure Alex would be okay.”

“And you are...Okay with him hearing this?”

Lafayette sat up straighter, “I can take care of myself, sir. I’ll be fine.”

“My son has had his own problems in the past, I believe that he will all right. He only wants to help,” Washington replied.

“I suppose that’s your decision,” Lee muttered. “Now, Alex. Would you care to tell us what happened last night? We’ve gathered quite a bit of evidence from your apartment, but a first hand account will do wonders in finding who did it.” Lee pulled a thin file toward him and took up a pen, watching them expectantly.

He felt Alex tense beside him, his grip on Lafayette’s hand tightened.

He saw Lee suppress an annoyed huff. “Why don’t we start with the basics, then we can have Alex fill in the blanks,” Washington suggested.

“Of course, let’s see here.” He looked down at his file, “your name is Alexander Hamilton, you are fifteen years old, you moved here from the Caribbean two years ago, and, until last night, lived with your cousin, Nathaniel Hamilton. Am I correct?” Alex nodded.

Hamilton, so that was his last name. Lafayette looked over at Alex, it suited him quite well.   

“Good, then let’s move on to last night. So far, we know that a neighbor called 911 at around nine o’clock in the evening after hearing sounds of gunshots next door. By the time police arrived, Nathaniel Hamilton was found dead in the kitchen with multiple bullet wounds to the head and chest regions and the culprit was gone. Soon after, you, Alexander, were found in the living room with your neighbor, a miss Eliza Schuyler, who was visiting her aunt at the time. Beyond several bruises along your arms and neck, you were fine. That is the extent of our knowledge. So, Alexander, this is where you come in. I need you to fill me in on the rest, what happened? Do you know who broke in and why? Why didn’t they kill you too?”  

Alex’s voice was quiet, he didn’t let go of Lafayette’s hand as he spoke. “I don’t...I don’t know why he broke in, but he ran because of Eliza, I think. She’d been outside, saying she’d called the police.”

Lee nodded and scribbled something down, “but what happened? What had you been doing, where were you, can you think of any motive?”

Alex shrugged, “I’d been in my bedroom, there’d been a crash from the kitchen and I went to see what was happening, the lights were out but I remember seeing a large man, then the gun went off and…” He trailed off.

“And?” Lee prompted.

“And Nathaniel fell, Eliza started knocking, then the guy spotted me and pounced. But then Eliza said she’d called 911 and he ran.”

“How did he leave,” Lee muttered, still scribbling things down.

“Through the window, he’d already broken it, so why not use it again?” Alex stared down at his feet. It was becoming clear, to Lafayette at least, that he was ready to leave. He couldn’t blame him, what was it like? Reliving a night that changed his life so much that he couldn’t ever go back.

“Good, good, now that we’ve cleared that up, we must discuss--” Lee was cut off by the sharp ringing of Washington’s cell phone.

Washington glanced down and frowned, “excuse me a moment, I have to take this.” Alex turned to Washington, his eyes panicked. “You’ll be all right, Alex, just answer Chief Lee’s questions and this will be over before you know it. Lafayette is here too, he won’t let anything bad happen.”

He nodded, “I will be right here, do not worry, Alex.”

George strode from the room, speaking in a low voice as the door shut behind him.

“Now then, we have your story straightened out, I need a description.”

“A-a what? Of the man?”

“Yes, yes, the man. What did he look like, details please.” Lee said, not looking up from his papers.

“It was dark, I really didn’t see him. He was big, I know that much, and,” Alex paused, his face scrunched up as he tried to remember. “He was tall too, with a deep voice.”

“Big, tall, with a deep voice. How informative,” Lee muttered.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, his grip tightening against Lafayette’s hand. “It was dark and I was a little distracted.”

“Alexander, do you want this man to be found?”

“Yes, obviously,” he snapped.

“Then I need you to tell me more,” Lee said. “And I’ll ask you to watch your tone.”

“I don’t know, like I said, it was dark, I thought I was going to die. I. Don’t. Know.” Alex said evenly.

On the bright side, Alex was talking, Lafayette only wished it was under better circumstances...Maybe another time. Right now, however, Alex and Lee were glaring rather viciously at one another and it was likely time he intervened.

“ _Monsieur Lee_ , Alex says he does not remember. Is it not best to leave it at that?”

Lee turned toward him, “Lefeyatte, why don’t you--”

“Lafayette,” Alex interrupted.

“What?”

“You said it wrong, his name is Lafayette.”

Lee bristled, “of course, my mistake. As I was saying, perhaps you should join your father outside and Alexander and I can finish in here.”

He shook his head, “I promised to stay with Alex and I intend to do so. May we move on, please?”

“ _Thank you_ ,” Alex said. “Do we have anything else to discuss?”

“Yes, we do, your friend is right. Let’s move on.” Lee stowed his papers back in the file and pulled another sheet out.

“And what would that be?”

“Alexander, as I’m sure you know, Nathaniel Hamilton was that your last family member here in America. Meaning that we’ll have to work out somewhere new for you to go.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, “what did you have in mind?”

“Well, there are always many options for situations like these. But the first with these types of things is a foster family.”

“No,” Alex said simply. “Not happening.”

“Well, I…” Lee blinked. “All right then, I don’t know what else you want me to suggest. Unless…” He trailed off, sending Alex a knowing look.

“What, unless what?” He asked. Lafayette wasn’t sure he liked where this was going. Maybe it was the look in Lee’s eye, or the way Alex was getting closer and closer to tipping over the edge.   

“It’s only an idea, but you could always return to the Caribbean, I’m sure we could find somewhere for you there.”

“ _No_ ,” Lafayette shot from his seat as the word flew from his mouth. “Alexander can stay with us. I’m sure Mama and Papa would not mind and it would be much easier than sending him elsewhere, don’t you agree?”

Lee leaned away, his eyes wide. “I-you would have to discuss that with your father, but...I suppose it could work,” he said quietly, reorganizing his papers instead of looking at them.

He turned back to Alex, who still sat-stock where he had left him. “Alex? Would that be all right with you? Unless you wish to return to the Caribbean, of course.”

“No-no, I’m fine with that. What about Wash-your dad, will he be okay with it?” He asked, surprised.

Lafayette nodded, “Papa loves kids, I’m sure he will love it.” The door creaked open and Washington himself slipped back inside the room. “See? We will ask him now!”

“Ask me what?” Washington asked suspiciously, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“Alex needs somewhere to stay and I thought, well, that maybe he could stay with us?”

“You don’t have to, sir,” Alex blurted. “Really, if it’s too much trouble. I can find somewhere else.”

Lafayette looked down at him, “Alex, no, hush.” He told him, turning back to his father. “Papa, please, _monsieur_ _Lee_ wishes to send him back to the Caribbean. We can’t let that happen, please.”

Washington stepped forward, “slow down, what’s going on?”

“What your son is _trying_ to say, is that he wishes for young Alexander to stay with you as there isn’t anywhere else for the boy to go.”

Washington nodded, “I see. Is this correct, boys?”

They nodded.

“Well, Alex, how do you feel about this?”

All eyes turned to Alex as he shifted in his seat, “if it’s not too much trouble, sir. I don’t wish to return to the Caribbean.”

Washington turned to Lee, “would that work? Could he do that?”

Lee shrugged, “I suppose, there will be paperwork and I’ll have to make some phone calls. But yes, yes, I think that would be just fine.”

Lafayette clapped his hands together, “wonderful! Is there anything else we must discuss? No? Good, let’s go then.”

Washington chuckled, “you two go on ahead, I’ll finish up here, then we can be on our way.”

 

* * *

 

“You didn’t have to do that, you know. Really, I would’ve figured something out,” Alex said quietly.

They were outside, waiting on Washington to finish with Lee, watching as the sun began to dip below the horizon. It’d been about ten minutes since they’d decided on Alex’s new living arrangements and Lafayette could only watch as Alex seemed to process what had happened.

“Of course I did! He wanted to send you away and you clearly did not wish to go. I had to do something.”

Alex didn’t respond.

“Oh no, I heard you in there, _Alexander Hamilton_ , you do not get to climb back into your shell. You must talk to me now” Lafayette told him, smirking.

“I don’t have a shell,” he grumbled.

He snorted, “sure you don’t.”

“I don’t!”

He put his palms up, “okay, okay. You do not have a shell- _you have a brick wall_. In any case, now that you are staying with us, I think I would like you to meet my friends. I am going to see them tomorrow, would you like to join me?”

Alex slid down the wall, drawing his knees to his chest and settling his head between them. He shrugged, “sure. I guess it would be idea to make some friends if I’m going to be sticking around.”

“Good, I believe you will get along with them very well,” he said, joining Alex on the ground.

“What’s taking your dad so long?” He said after a while.

He leaned back, “Papa tends to talk for a while when it comes to these matters. He likes to be sure with these matters...You know, he’s not just my father anymore, he--”

Alex shook his head, “no, Lafayette...Washington didn’t adopt me or anything and I don’t want him to.” He paused, squinting into the street as the light faded. “I’m grateful for what he’s doing, really, but don’t think you’re getting a brother out of this or anything, just a friend.”

“A friend that lives in the same house as me and is also looked after by my parents?”

“...Yes. Exactly,” he muttered.

“I see. Well, whatever you decide to be, welcome, _mon ami_ , I’m glad you are here.”

He saw Alex grin, it was small, but it reached his eyes and that was enough for now. "Yeah,” He said, “I think I am too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been my favorite chapter to write so far, I just love seeing Lafayette getting all protective and being like "no, you're not taking my new friend away, back off." I just really love Lafayette, okay?  
> Anyway, Lafayette's friends...Wonder who they could be??? Such a hard guess, I know. I suppose you'll just have to wait and find out.  
> Also, I finally gave this story a name, yay! I felt seriously awkward not having one, but that's all fixed. Thanks if you suggested one, it was much appreciated.


	5. Chapter Five: George Has A Chat; Alex Gets Snippy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After agreeing to take in Alex, George takes some time to relax and chat with his family.

“Papa? Why is Alexander so small?”

George rested his head against the swing, staring out at the stars blinking in the night sky. Lafayette rested beside him, leaning tiredly against George’s shoulder. They had returned from the police station about an hour ago. Alex had gone straight to bed, though George wouldn’t be surprised if he was still awake, but he and Lafayette had elected to stay up a while longer. Well, George had, technically, Lafayette was supposed to be sleeping as well, but he’d trotted out after him and George hadn’t had the heart to turn the kid away just yet.

“I don’t know, son. There’s a lot I don’t know about Alex yet.”

“When _will_ you know?” He asked, watching a plane go by overhead.

He shrugged a shoulder, the other staying still under Lafayette, “whenever he tells me. But, I want you to listen to me, all right?” Lafayette nodded. “I don’t want you to press Alex on anything right now. He’s had a rough time of it and, when he’s ready, will open up. But until then, I want you to let him be.”

“I know, I know Papa. You seem to forget, I was in his place once. Being the new child can be alarming. But you should have heard him before, when you were on the phone? He spoke so well then, he was very different from the boy you brought home last night. I wish to see this Alex again.”

George frowned slightly, he _had_ heard Alex. While on the phone, he been able to hear their discussion and, really, he had to agree with Lafayette. He’d like to see that Alex again, though, perhaps a little calmer than he had been earlier.

“I’m sure we will,” he said. “It’ll just take a while. But we’ll get there, don’t worry.”

“I know. Actually,” Lafayette sat up and looked over at George. “Alex agreed to come with me to meet John and Hercules tomorrow. I think they would be a great help for Alex.”

George nodded, “I think that would be a good idea, I believe he would get along with John especially.”

Lafayette yawned widely, leaning back against George’s shoulder.

“Oh no,” he said. “Don’t fall asleep out here, the bugs will get you. Head on to bed, you were supposed to be asleep by now anyway.”

George nudged him and waved him along as Lafayette shuffled inside.

“G’night,” he muttered.

The door clanged shut and George leaned back in his seat. Finally able to relax for the first time in hours.

Alex was going to be living with them. It was a strange thought, if he was honest. For so long, it had only been Lafayette around the house. But with Alex there, what would that be like?

One kid had proven to be enough trouble, especially when he was around his friends: Hercules Mulligan and John Laurens. The three had met at the start of middle school and ever since, Lafayette had been with them nearly everyday. Alex would fit in well with them, George had a feeling he’d find just as much trouble as the other boys did, eventually. But with them having so much history, he worried Alex would be met a bit apprehensively. After all, John and Hercules didn’t know Alex, and while they were wonderful boys, they hadn’t let anyone else into their little group for a long time. Though, if things did work out - and George was hopeful they would - Lafayette had a point, being around the boys tomorrow would do Alex some good. It would be a nice chance for him to relax.

“George?” He sat up and looked around. After a moment, he spotted Martha watching him from the front door.

“It’s getting late,” she said, joining him on the swing. “Are you planning to come inside soon?”

He scooted closer and draped an arm over Martha’s shoulders. “Soon, I’ve just been thinking. It’s been a long day.”

“So I’ve heard, Lafayette tells me Alex will be staying?”

He nodded, “I would have called, but everything moved so quickly and I couldn’t say no. I had to assume you’d be all right with it.”

“It’s fine, dear. I’m glad to have him, but next time you take a kid in, call me first. Okay?”

George chuckled, “of course.”

They lapsed into a brief silence, the night air filling with a cricket's song. A soft breeze carried the scent of freshly bloomed Magnolias. For the first time in days, it was peaceful, he could live forever in this moment.

Finally, George leaned forward. “Philip Schuyler called earlier,” he said.

Martha turned to him, her dark eyes shining in the night. “What did he say?”

He ran a hand through his short hair, staring out at the road. “Nothing good, apparently, things are getting tense. George King has been more aggressive than ever lately.”

Philip Schuyler and George King. Both were at the head of two rather large law firms; Philip running the Schuyler Law in the U.S. and George with King’s Company over in Britain. They’d never used to have a problem with one another, according to Philip, they had even partnered for a while. But recently, George King had been wanting to expand his own company and was currently attempting to buy out Philip’s business. Philip, of course, had no interest in selling and had refused every offer made thus far, but King had been adamant in his quest for expansion and had yet to relent.

Philip had been calling George for several months now, hoping for help, but so far, he hadn’t been able to offer much. King refused to back down and it seemed that he wouldn’t for a long time, if ever.

“What is he going to do,” she asked.

“I don’t know, So far he’s been refusing, but that hasn’t done much, if anything,it’s made King even more determined. Philip said he was even considering bringing the girls down here, says King’s threats have been getting a little too personal.”

She gasped, “he wouldn’t. Those girls are  the sweetest I’ve met in a long while, he wouldn’t dare to bring them into this mess.” She added uncertainly, “would he?”

“I don’t know, we all know how low King is willing to go, but threatening kids? That’s something else entirely.”

Martha shook head disapprovingly, “the whole business is just awful, if he even _thinks_ someone will hurt his girls, Philip should be hightailing it down here as soon as he can.”

“That’s what I told him, but he wouldn’t give me an answer. I’ll work on him; get Philip to see some sense.”

“Good, no business is worth this kind of pressure,” she muttered, folding her arms across her chest.

“Funny thing though.” He said, hoping to lighten the mood. “When Charles was talking today, he said that a miss _Eliza Schuyler_ was the one to help Alex.”

Martha sat up, curious.  “Really now, how so?”

He shrugged, “apparently she was the one to call the police; said she was staying with her aunt next door.”

“Alex and Eliza,” she laughed. “I never would have pictured those two to be friends.”

“Small world, I suppose. You know, if those girls really do coming to live around here, I can only imagine the trouble they and the boys will get to.”

She grinned, eyes twinkling, “oh, we would never sleep again. The thought alone gives me a headache.”

“I’m sure it wouldn’t be as bad as you think,” he said.

“You’re right,” Martha smirked. “It would be worse.”

She yawned and leaned back, “I think I’m off to bed, are you coming?”

He nodded, “I’ll join you in a moment, I want to check in on Alex first.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t already,” Martha said, heading for the door. “All right then, I’ll see you in a little while.”

 

George cracked open the door to Alex’s room and peered in.

The lights were still on, but Alex wasn’t in bed this time. Instead, he sat at the desk, bent over a notebook that must have come from Lafayette. He stepped inside, Alex didn’t seem to hear him as he approached, leaning over his shoulder to see small, cramped writing filling the page.

“Alex,” he said softly. “It’s time to get some sleep.”

Alex shot back, eyes wide and his pen held out like a sword in front of him.

“Hey, hey,” George said quickly, placing a hand over Alex’s and gently pushing it away. “It’s just me.”

His head whipped around, eyes wide, “ _sorry_ ,” he muttered, lowering his pen.

“It’s all right, what were you writing?”

“Nothing,” he muttered, closing the notebook before George could see what was written.

“It didn’t look like nothing,” he paused. “What was it?”

Alex tensed, “it’s not important, really.”

“Nonsense, everything is important,” he replied, leaning against the desk.

“Well, not this,” Alex muttered, rising from his seat.

George bit back a sigh, “okay then. But really, you need to get some sleep. Lafayette mentioned you were going with him tomorrow, believe me, you’ll want some energy for that, son.”

Alex paused, midway to the bed. “Don’t-don’t call me that...Please.”

He looked down at him, confused. “Son? Why not?” He asked.

“I just- I don’t have a dad, and I’m not exactly looking for a new one. I’m not...I’m grateful to be staying here. Thank you for that, but I’d just rather you not get the wrong idea, is all.”

George thought a moment before responding, “of course. I understand that things have been stressful, but just know that we _are_ glad to have you here, Alex. Son or no, and I’ll do what I can to help.”

Alex had turned away, having busied himself with stuffing the notebook into a desk drawer. “I think I’ll go to bed now,” was all he said.

He bit his lip and fought the urge to press the matter. “Of course, I’ll...I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

Alex didn’t respond and George left without another word. _Alex is tired_ , he reminded himself. They all were. He only needed some time to adjust, then things would be better. He just needed time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't really planning on posting today, but I decided why not?


	6. Chapter Six: Martha Is A Sweetheart; John And Hercules Show Up (Finally)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex meets Lafayette's friends.

“Alex, are you almost ready?” Martha called as Alex scrambled to pull his shoes on. He was leaving with Lafayette soon to meet his friends, but he _really_ wasn’t ready.

He’d  woken up on time, he’d gotten dressed, he’d even done a bit of writing, but Alex was nowhere _near_ prepared, not mentally, anyway. He’d never been very good around new people, back home, the only reason he had ever made any friends was because Eliza had taken him everywhere with her and insisted on introducing him to every human - and the occasional dog - that she came across.

Speaking of Eliza, he’d have to write her soon. Alex hadn’t seen her since that night, he imagined she was worried sick about him. His eyes landed on the desk, last night he’d started writing her about everything that had happened since then, but Washington had interrupted him. Eliza had always been one for details and Alex’s letters tended to go on for a while. Which, now that he thought of it, was probably why she enjoyed writing him so much.

Behind him, Alex heard the door creak. “Alex? Is everything all right?” He turned to see Martha in the doorway, a small green bundle was gathered in her arms.

He nodded. “My shoes,” he muttered.

Martha bit her lip and stepped inside, “you look nervous.” She stated, taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

Alex shrugged, “I’m not the best around new people.”

“Well, I gathered that much, are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine, it’s only a few hours.”

She smiled, “they’re sweet boys, I promise. Oh!” She held up the green bundle, “I washed this for you. George mentioned taking you to get your things later this week, but in the meantime, I thought it might help to have something familiar with you.”

Martha passed him the bundle, he held it out, unsure at first of what it was. He realized with a start that it was his hoodie, the one he’d worn near constantly for the past few days, until it disappeared before they’d left to talk with Lee last night.

He looked over at her, “thank you... _so_ much. I thought it had disappeared.” Alex pulled the hoodie over his head, it smelled of a flowery soap and he noticed a tear in the sleeve had been expertly stitched.

“Disappeared?” She asked, confused. “Why would it have disappeared?”

He tugged at his sleeves, “my stuff went missing a lot at my cousins. It’s not a big deal.”

Martha frowned and stood up, “well, that won’t happen around here, I can tell you that much. No one in this house takes anything from anyone without asking first.” Martha strode to the door and motioned for Alex to join her, “why don’t we go find Lafayette, I’m sure he’s dying to get going.”

He nodded, pulling the fabric close and trailing after her. The Washington household was a strange place, to be certain. But maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.

 

He really hoped Lafayette didn’t notice the he drug his feet the closer than inched to the door. As they approached the shop, Alex nearly turned back. It had been a short walk from the house, if he ran, surely he could get away before Lafayette could stop him. He may be small, but he was also fast, as he’d found out after trouble with kids last year. Or maybe he could pretend to pass out, that would buy him some time, though, eventually he’d have to wake up and have even more attention on him.

 _No,_ he was going to do this, he had to. Lafayette was so excited, he couldn’t let him down. Alex pushed his shoulders back and stood a little straighter, he would be fine. He only had to survive a few hours. And if things didn’t work out, well, he could always spend the rest of his life in his bedroom.

A wave of cold air washed over them as they entered the parlor. The place was small, but what it lacked in size, was made up for in decor. With a theme of light blues and pinks spanning across the walls and shining white tiles across the floor, the place gave off a gleeful vibe to all who entered. Immediately, Lafayette snatched Alex’s wrist and practically pounced on two boys at a nearby table.

“John! Hercules!” He cried, sliding into a seat beside one of the boys, Alex followed suite, sitting beside a boy covered in freckles.

The larger of the two responded first, “there he is, I told you he’d be here, John.”

John, he assumed, put his hands up in a false surrender, “okay, okay, you were right. I was only saying that he was taking a while; figured he may have gotten caught up.” His eyes landed on Alex. “And clearly, he did.”

“Oh, yes, John, Hercules, this is my new friend, Alexander. Alexander, this is Hercules Mulligan,” he pointed to the larger boy. “And John Laurens,” he pointed to the one beside Alex.

Laurens, wasn’t the name of...No, that’d been a woman, hadn't it? But hadn’t there been two people in the car?

“You can call me Alex.” Was all he said, shaking the thought away. Now really wasn’t the time, he'd have to ask Lafayette about it later.

“All right then, Alex,  welcome to the neighborhood. Like Laf said, I’m John. Did you just move to the area?”

Alex started to respond, but Lafayette stepped in before he could say anything. “Yes! He is staying with me after coming from New York City,” he said excitedly. Alex hadn’t realized how happy Lafayette was to have him around, maybe it was lonely being the only kid in the house. It certainly had been for Alex. Maybe that was the same elsewhere, too.

“The city? What was that like? My parents never really take me up there; say it’s too dangerous,” Hercules asked, fiddling with a plastic spoon from his ice cream.

Alex shrugged, “not at fun as you’d think,” he said. “It’s really crowded and the people there don’t care nearly as much as they do here.”

“Well yeah,” said John. “That’s basically any city ever. But what’s it like _living_ there? Did you walk everywhere?  Is it loud? Were the alleys as creepy as they are in the movies?

He could have laughed, it seemed like these two talked just as much as Lafayette. “Let’s see...Yes, yes, and absolutely,” he said, ticking his fingers off as he went.

“Did you like it up there?” Asked Lafayette, apparently just as curious as his friends. Though, he’d had plenty of time to ask Alex on his own, why hadn’t he?

“I mean,” he paused. _Had_ he liked living up there? Admittedly, the place didn’t hold the best memories. Yeah, he’d been able to go to school, but the kids there weren’t the nicest, especially when they found out he came from the Caribbean. Home hadn’t been much better either, Nathaniel put up with him, but in his time there, they hadn’t formed any semblance of a bond. There had been Eliza and her sisters, but they only came down every few months to visit their aunt, the rest of time they only were able to write letters back and forth.

“It was okay,” he said finally. “But it’s better down here, nicer.”

“Really?” Said Hercules, clearly surprised. “I’d go up there in a heartbeat. Things down here are too slow for me, I need somewhere faster.”

“Hercules, _mon ami_ , are we not fast enough for you?” Lafayette asked, snatching a spoonful of Hercules’ ice cream.

“Get your own, Laf. But you guys would come with me, obviously.”

“Don’t forget Alex!” John said, slinging an arm over his shoulders and grinning. “He’s one of us now.”

He was? Since when?

“Yes, he is. See, I told you they would like you, Alex,” said Lafayette.

“Is there a reason we wouldn’t,” asked John.

Lafayette smirked and leaned forward in his seat. “Alexander was scared to come, I thought he was going to run away this morning with the way he acted.” He smirked at Alex, so he _had_ noticed.

“What? No way, now you’re stuck with us, Alex. No one tries to escape the _great_ Hercules Mulligan,” Hercules cried, puffing his chest out and grinning triumphantly.

Lafayette rolled his eyes, “well then, would the great Hercules Mulligan like to buy me an ice cream?”

“Don’t you have your own money?”

“I- _yes_ , but it tastes...Better, when you buy it, is all.”

“How does that work?” He asked, though, Alex saw Hercules already reaching for his wallet.

“Because,” Lafayette stated. “Things are always better when they come as gifts, are they not?”

Hercules huffed and stood. “Fine, come on. We’ll be back,” he said. The two turned away, Lafayette sending a wicked smirk over his shoulder before scampering after Hercules.

“Uh...Were they…?” Alex trailed off, watching the two get in line, Lafayette was very nearly hanging off Hercules’ shoulder.

“Flirting?” John suggested, “probably. I know Laf has had a thing for Hercules since the seventh grade and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hercules felt the same way. I mean, he can’t say no the guy, as you just saw.”

Alex laughed, “I noticed.”

“So what about you?” John asked, turning toward him.

“What _about_ me?”

“Well, you haven’t said much, you’ve seemed kind of nervous.”

“I’m fine, I just...Don’t have a lot to say, I guess.”

 _Lies_ , his mind seemed to whisper. There was plenty to say, but no courage to say it anymore.

John placed his chin in his hands and squinted at Alex. “Nah,” he said simply. “That’s not it. You’re holding back, I just don’t know why. But don’t, I meant what I said. If Lafayette thinks you’re okay, then I do too. You’re one of us now, like it or not.”

 _One of us_ , he liked the sound of that. Back in the city, and in the village, he hadn’t had many friends. The other kids had always found something to hate, whether it be where he was from or the circumstances of his birth, they would find it and they would feed off it.

Maybe he could avoid that here, after all, no one had to know where he came from. And if they didn’t ask, then Alex didn’t have to tell. He was stuck here now, he may as well make the most of it. He had a shot here, and he was _not_ throwing it away.

He sat up a little straighter and grinned slightly at John. First step to starting over? Making friends? First step to making friends? Talking to people. He could do this, his social life depended on it.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said. “But, I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

He must have noticed the change in Alex, because John raised an eyebrow and laughed. “That’s what I like to hear. So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, what’s up with staying with the Washingtons? Lafayette never said anything about them adopting another kid and we all know Laf can’t keep a secret, especially since he’s wanted a brother for, well, I don’t even know how long.”

Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat, staring out the window instead of at John. “It’s a long story,” he explained. “But I’m going to be staying with the Washingtons from now on, as my last guardian is, ah, dead.” _Well that was blunt._

John’s mouth formed a small ‘oh’ of surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t-”

“Don’t, please. I’ve heard enough sorrys to last me a lifetime.”

“Sorry, er, wait, not sorry... _Anyway_ , are you staying permanently or just for a little while?”

He didn’t know, actually. He’d assumed this was a permanent arrangement, it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go. “Permanent, I think. I’ve yet to hear otherwise, so I just assumed.”

“Knowing Washington, it probably is. The guy would adopt all of us if he could. Though, with the way things are going with Laf and Herc, he’ll get pretty close. Speaking of, what’s taking so long?”

He looked back, the two were nearing the front of the line, Lafayette talking animatedly about something Alex couldn’t hear. Hercules seemed to listen with a rapt attention, laughing and waving his hands as Lafayette spoke.

“I think they’re a bit caught up,” he said, turning back.

“Clearly,” John said. “So, do you like it at the Washingtons? I know they can be a little overwhelming at first, but they’re good people.”

“Definitely, but I have to ask, does Washington called everyone on?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, he calls Herc and I that all the time. Why? Is that what he’s been calling you?”

Alex nodded.

“Wow, he must like you. It took him a year to start calling _us_ that.”

“And it doesn’t bother you?”

“Not really, my dad and I have our own set of problems, so it’s kinda nice to hear every now and then.”

They lapsed into silence after that, but unlike many of the silences Alex had experienced in his short life, this one was comfortable. It was two friends, enjoying one another’s company. Alex reveled in it.

“We’re back!” Lafayette and Hercules reappeared suddenly, breaking the silence as they landed in their seats, Lafayette with an ice cream cone in hand and Hercules with, he assumed, an empty wallet. He didn’t seem to mind much.

“Herc, why would you give him sugar, Laf is bad enough without the stuff,” John muttered.

“Well, I wasn’t about to tell him no,” Hercules said, leaning his elbows against the table.

“Yeah, we all know you can’t do that,” John whispered to Alex.

“What?”

“Nothing,” they said quickly.

“It seems you two have bonded in our absence?” Lafayette asked, licking his cone.

“You could say that. Your dad really knows how to pick ‘em, Laf. I think Alex is going to fit in just fine.”

“Really? That is wonderful,” Lafayette replied happily.

“That was quick, what did you two talk about while we were gone?” Hercules asked, watching them carefully.

John shrugged and glanced at him, “just stuff. He’s pretty cool, Herc. I think Laf’s got the right idea with this one.”

 

“So, you had fun today?” Lafayette asked from his spot on the bed.

They were back in Alex’s room, with Alex on the floor and Lafayette peering over his shoulder from the edge of his bed. They’d returned from the ice cream parlor nearly two hours ago, a place he’d later found out was called Theo’s Place, named for the owner’s daughter. A girl John said he’d meet once the school year began. Ever since, he and Laf had been hidden away in Alex’s room, chatting as he worked to complete his letter to Eliza. Lafayette had said they could mail it in the morning.

“Yeah,” he said, scratching out a line and writing around it. “You have some good friends, they’re great people.”

“I noticed you and John got on rather well, I take it you liked him?”

“He was...Cool,” was all Alex said.

“He liked you, I could tell. You see, Hercules and I, we are very close. John, however, while we love him very, very much, does not have quite the same connection. I think you will be very good for him just as he will be for you.”

“I was meaning to ask,” Alex flipped the paper over as he reached the bottom. “You and Hercules seemed pretty close, are you…” He trailed off.

Glancing up, he noticed Lafayette had buried his face in a pillow, only his dark hair was visible.

“I do not know what you are talking about,” came his muffled reply. “How is your letter?”

He was tempted to keep pushing about him and Hercules, but he’d embarrassed Lafayette enough, so he didn’t press it, .

“Pretty well, I think I’m about done.” Alex said, placing the cap over his pen and dropping it at his side.

Lafayette’s eyes peered over the edge of his pillow, skimming over Alex’s tiny print, “I’m sure you friend will love it. Who did you say it was for? Eliza, yes?”

He nodded, “her aunt lived next door, I saw her and her sisters whenever they came to visit.”

“I see, I believe Papa may know their father. I know he has mentioned the Schuylers before.”

He perked up at that, Washington knew the Schuylers? Eliza had never mentioned him before, but then, she’d never had a reason to. Anything to do with her father’s business was usually avoided at all costs, so things like Philip Schuyler’s friends never really came up.

“She’s never mentioned him before, but I’m sure it’s possible.” Alex signed his name at the bottom of the page.

“Perhaps I could meet her someday? After all, you have met my friends, I would like to meet yours.”

“We could do that, I’m sure Eliza would love you,” he said.

“I cannot wait,” he cheered sleepily, Alex could hear him stifle a yawn.

“Neither can I,” there was no response. “Laf?” Alex peered up to see that he’d passed out.

Laughing quietly, he turned back to the letter.

 _‘P.S.,’_ he wrote. _‘Lafayette says hi.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided I'm going to attempt to start an update schedule, seeing as I've gotten a bit ahead on the chapters (I think I'm up to chapter 10 right now? Yay!). I figured this way anyone reading this will have a bit of a sense of when to expect updates and this way I have to keep writing (I absolutely hate breaking promises). I'm going to start by updating every Monday and Friday. If that doesn't work, I may change it, but don't worry, I'll post an announcement of some kind if that's the case. But for now, that's what I'll stick with.  
> Anyway, other stuff, John and Hercules are here! Yay! I'm so excited, now that they're here, I can finally start getting into the fun part of this story. I'm so excited! And I hope you are too, like seriously, anyone bothering to read this story, thanks so much, it's nice to know someone actually cares about the stuff I write.  
> Anyway, I'll try not to get sappy or anything, one last thing though and I hate to ask. But if you see a mistake in my writing (whether it be a grammatical error, or continuity one) would you please let me know? I try to look over the chapters as carefully as possible before I post, but seeing as I don't have anyone else to proof read these, I'm going to miss things from time to time. So please, please, please, if you see something, let me know. It would mean the world to me and you'd be helping make this story just a little better.  
> Please and thanks, see ya!


	7. Chapter Seven: Eliza Waits; Alex Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza waits for her friend to return.

Elizabeth Schuyler was sure of two things in life. The first being that her aunt was a rather terrifying person when angry. The second? That Alexander Hamilton would surely be the death of her. 

It had been nearly two weeks since the break in and ever since, Eliza had been spending her summer days camped outside Alex’s old apartment, waiting on him, or someone else, to come by and tell her what had happened to her friend. Aunt Cassidy hated this practice, said that it wasn’t fitting for a girl her age to be holed up inside waiting on a boy Eliza may never see again. Eliza, of course, disagreed and, much to her aunt’s dismay, stayed stubbornly beside the front door, watching the yellow police tape droop against the door frame, the tape slowly beginning to give way and fall to the ground.

Everyday, officers would pass through and slip inside the apartment. Everyday, she’d stop one and ask about Alex and, everyday, she dismissed out of hand. No one seemed to care about the girl watching silently from the corner, but she wouldn’t give up. No matter how many times Aunt Cassidy demanded she come back home. Some days, her sisters, Peggy and Angelica, would join her as well. Their stares combined tended to intimidate the officers, just a bit. A few times they had even gotten close to getting some of the younger ones to crack. Close, but not close enough. Most of the time, they would look in the other direction and pretend they hadn’t seen the glares being sent their way.  

Today however, Eliza was alone, with nothing but a book for company, she watched and waited. It was early yet, so she didn’t expect anyone to come by, people didn’t usually start to show up until about ten in the morning. It was only nine at the moment, so Eliza pressed her back to the wall and propped her book against her knees. 

Her eyes skimmed over the words, but nothing seemed to stick. Nothing ever did when she was out here, her mind would always wandered away from whatever she was trying to do, instead choosing to peer down the hallway, where she knew the stairwell was placed, hidden behind a thick fire door that creaked horribly every time it was opened. Making Eliza’s corner the perfect place to listen for newcomers and watch Alex’s apartment with ease.

Eliza leaned back and yawned, it was still early yet, surely she could relax for just a moment,

She would get her answers, she’d find her friend. No matter how long she had to wait for it.

 

Eliza must have fallen asleep, because when she next opened her eyes, her book had fallen from her fingers and footsteps echoed from around the corner.

“I was able to get you a few minutes to gather your things, but try to be quick. Charles has a tendency to go back on his promises.” A voice said, was that...No. She swore that sounded like Mr. Washington, a friend of her father’s. But what would  _ he _ be doing  _ here _ ? Unless, hadn’t her father said something about Washington having a soft spot for kids? 

Eliza stood up, a second voice sounded.

“I’ll try to hurry,” they said quietly. Was that…?

Eyes wide, Eliza rushed around the corner, “ _ Alexander _ ,” she exclaimed. 

Mr. Washington and Alex stopped mid stride, Alex’s mouth seemed to hang open. 

“Where have you  _ been _ .” She demanded, stomping up to him and folding her arms across her chest. 

“I-I…” He shrugged and pointed toward Washington, a grin forming on his lips.

“A simple ‘I’m sorry’ would suffice.” She said, laughing. Eliza stepped closer and threw her arms around him. “I was so worried about you. I didn’t know if I would see you again.” 

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, “I’m sorry,” he said. “I haven’t had much time, I sent you a letter, but it was to your dad’s, so I guess if you’ve been here…”

She stepped away, “it’s okay,” she said. “You’re here now. But wait,” her eyebrows knitted together. “Why  _ are _ you here?”

“He’s here to gather his things,” Washington told her. “I hate to sound rude, Elizabeth, but I’m afraid we must hurry.”

“Oh! Of course, I understand. Alex, I’ll help you get everything together.” She said, taking Alex by the wrist. Eliza spun on her heel and ducked under the police tape before she could be told otherwise. Behind her, Eliza could hear Mr. Washington laugh before calling that he would wait outside.

Good, it had been weeks since she had seen Alex, and she planned to make the most of however little time she had. 

Eliza led the way down the short hallway and ducked into a bedroom. She waited for Alex to step inside before shutting the door. She sighed, silence filled the room. 

“Alex,” she said.

“I’m okay, ‘Liza, I’m okay.”

“No,” she said.  “You aren’t. But you’re better than you were, what’s happened?”

Alex began to busy himself with gathering together his things into a backpack. “A lot.” He said, shoving a book inside. “I don’t even know where to start. I just-there’s so much that I want to tell you and not enough time.”

“Slow down, we’ve got a little while yet, so why don’t you start from the beginning,” she told him.

He nodded and took a breath. Then, suddenly, words were spilling from his mouth faster than Eliza could keep up. She heard everything thing from the idiot that was Charles Lee to some boys he had met recently. Overall, it sounded like things were going well, judging from the way he spoke. 

Eliza laughed, she’d missed this; missed his ramblings. “I can tell. Where are you staying now?”

“With the Washingtons, they had some extra space and were willing to take on another kid.”

“Really? I didn’t know they were wanting to adopt again.” she replied, gathering together the few shirts in his dresser. 

“ _ They weren’t _ ,” he said quickly. “I mean- I didn’t- it wasn’t like that. It wasn’t an adoption or anything, they just agreed to let me stay with them.”

“And it’s... _ Safe _ there?” She asked, watching Alex carefully.

Alex had never admitted to it, not to her anyway, but things were never the best at Nathaniel’s. She could remember all times she’d heard yelling coming from this apartment; could remember all the times Alex had come over, crying, mumbling how he and his cousin had gotten into another fight, that it was nothing to worry about. She always worried though, every time, she couldn’t help it.   

“Yes,” he said certainly. “They’re good people, I promise.”

Eliza looked at him uncertainly. That was what he said about Nathaniel before. But her father  _ had _ spoken highly of the Washington family, so maybe this time was different.

“You’re sure?” She asked, passing Alex several of his old notebooks. 

He nodded, “I’m all right, Eliza. If anything happens, you’ll be the first to know.”

“I better be. So what’s it like? You mentioned friends?”

She saw him light up, he shoved the notebooks in the bag and looked over at her. 

“Lafayette, Washington’s son, introduced me. We met a few weeks ago, they’re really nice.”

“Who are they? They haven’t...Said anything, have they?” Before, she and Alex had gone to school together. The kids there hadn’t been the nicest to either of them, for Eliza, it had been because of her father’s business and the drama that always seemed to surround it. For Alex, it had been where he came from, for whatever reason, the other kids loved to point this out, making something Eliza found fascinating into a source of shame. 

It was part of the reason they had become friends. The mutual hatred coming from their peers had managed to draw them together.

Alex shook his head, “I haven’t mentioned where I came from or anything like that, to be honest. But I don’t think they’re like the other kids, Eliza. They remind me of you, in a way. They don’t care about any of that stuff.”

“I’d love to meet them someday. What are their names?” She stuck her head beneath the bed and snagged a paper that had found its way down there. 

She looked around, the room was growing empty, her heart sank. They were nearly done. Alex would be leaving soon. 

Beside her, Alex was listing off the boys, John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Lafayette. Eliza remembered having met Lafayette once, her father had invited the whole family over for dinner. He was nice enough, she recalled that he spoke quite a lot. 

“-And John was talking the other day, he actually wants to hang out,” Alex was saying.

“Is there a reason he wouldn’t?” Eliza asked, smoothing her skirt as she got to her feet again.

He shrugged, zipping his backpack. He didn’t answer.

Eliza looked over at him and frowned, “you think they’re going to leave.”

“I- _ no _ ,” Alex’s shoulders slumped. “It’s just that they don’t know what happened yet. It might freak them out if they know.”

“Well…” She thought a moment. Alexander had always been nervous when making new friends, Eliza had done her best to help, dragging him nearly everywhere with her in an attempt to force him out of his shell, but it only did some much. He’d been more open once, back when they had first met. He’d fought back against  _ both _ of their tormentors and hadn’t cared what was said. Then, that had backfired, and it had taken Eliza a month to get him to talk to even  _ her _ again.  

“I think you should try, Alex. I’m sure Lafayette already knows, right? So, instead of telling John and Hercules at the same time, start with one of them. You mentioned John a couple times, start with him first.”

She saw him pause. Then: “Yeah, maybe,” he muttered.

He would be all right, if Lafayette was anything like she remembered, then he would know good people. This  _ John Laurens _ would take it just fine and if he didn’t...Eliza and her sisters only lived an hour away, they could be down there in a heartbeat. Angelica’s glare alone was enough to make their father’s associates question their stances. Combine that with Eliza and Peggy and this John fellow would be shaking in his boots.

Eliza pulled open the drawer to Alex’s desk and scrunched her nose, it seemed she’d stumbled across his junk drawer. Inside were crumpled balls of paper, broken pencils, and an array of colorful sticky notes.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” she said, rummaging through the junk . “Have they found anything? About Nathaniel, I mean.”

Alex placed the full backpack on his bed. They were nearly done packing now, soon, the only thing keeping him here would be Eliza.

“Not much, whoever killed him is still out there. The only thing the police know is that it was planned. But even that is up in the air.”

“So they know nothing, is what you’re saying.” She said, taking a seat in the desk chair. 

“Pretty much.” Alex fell back against his bed, watching the ceiling. “How are things at home? Is George King still pushing?”

Eliza leaned back in the chair, she would never understand how Alex could spend so long sitting in it. Two minutes and her back was already beginning to ache. 

“Unfortunately,” she replied. George King, a British entrepreneur, had been trying for months to buy out her father’s company. It hadn’t been much of a problem at first, an offer here, a mild threat there, nothing her father hadn’t heard before. But lately, King had become more persistent. His threats becoming more real and his offers slowly shifting from requests to demands. Her father was worried, despite his best efforts to hide it from his children. Eliza could see it more and more every day.

“What do you think is going to happen? Mr. Schuyler wouldn’t give in, would he?” Alex asked, fiddling with the laces of his shoe.

“No, he wouldn’t do that. Daddy has put too much into his business to give that up now, especially to some playground bully.”

“You sound upset,” he noted.

“Perhaps just a little,” she admitted.

“So you want him to give up the company?”

“ _ No _ ,” she cried. “But you know how he is. The man tends to lose himself when it comes to competition.”

Alex shifted on the bed, his dark eyes catching hers. “I’m sorry, ‘Liza. I wish I could be here more, but I’ll write to you as often as I can, okay?”

“I know you will. Thanks, Alex.”

“Alex? We need to get going.” Mr. Washington was calling from hallway.

Her face fell as Alex got up and hefted the backpack over his thin shoulders, the thing dwarfed him. Slowly, she stood and followed him out the door. 

Mr. Washington was waiting for them when they reached the living room. “People are going to start arriving soon and they won’t want us in their hair.”

Eliza smirked, “oh, it’s okay, sir. I’ve been getting in their hair for weeks now.”

“That may be the case, but being  _ inside _ the room is a different story, I’m afraid.” Mr. Washington said, laughing. “I’ll give you two a moment, but then we really must be going.” He stepped from the room once more, and Eliza and Alex were left alone. 

“I expect a letter within the week, Alexander. If I don’t hear from you by then, I’m afraid I’ll have to force Angelica to drive me down there.”

“You’ll be hearing from me soon, I promise, Eliza,” Alex said. Then, he snapped and pulled something from his pocket, passing it to her.

“What is this?” She asked as she unfurled the small slip of paper.

“My new address,” he explained. “And the home phone number, this way you can contact me anytime you need to.”

Eliza felt a tear or two pool in her eyes, she hadn’t realized until now how much she’d missed Alex. She hadn’t realized how much she missed being able to talk to him whenever she needed. God, she’d missed him and now he was leaving again. 

For the second time that day, Eliza threw her arms around Alex, only this time, she held on. “Thank you,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“Maybe you can come over sometime,” he suggested.

“Already planning on it.”

“I figured.”

They stayed that way, she wasn’t sure for how long. But, in what felt like minutes, if she was honest, Mr. Washington had returned, tapping softly against the doorframe. She had to bite back a bitter glare as he waved Alex over, it wasn’t Mr. Washington’s fault, not really. He was only doing what he had to, but that didn’t mean Eliza had to like it. 

“Elizabeth, you and your sisters are welcome to come by any time you like. Company is always welcome in our home,” Mr. Washington told her.

“Thank you, sir, and please, it’s Eliza.” 

“Ah, in that case, I look for to your visit, Eliza.” He said, then turned to Alex. “We should go, Martha wanted us home before dinner.”

Alex cast a sad glance to Eliza, but agreed. “I’ll see you soon, Eliza, and don’t worry so much about your dad, it’ll work out.”

“I know,” she said quietly. 

They left quickly, leaving Eliza alone in the dark apartment. 

It was strange, being there all alone. The last time she had been here, Alex had been sitting shell-shocked on the couch and the place had been crawling with cops. But now, there was only the sound of her soft breathing to disturb the silence that had settled. She needed to leave, people were going to show up soon and Aunt Cassidy would never let Eliza come back if she got caught in here.

She stepped toward the door, but as she ducked under the tape, her eyes caught sight of the kitchen. Sunlight was filtering in, illuminating the small area as Eliza found herself wandering in.

She’d never seen much of Alex’s apartment before, most of the time they been together had been spent at school or Eliza’s house. 

Seeing it now, it seemed so empty, like its rooms had never known life. She wasn’t sure it  _ ever _ had, no good life, anyway.

The kitchen had been left in disarray. Evidence of Nathaniel’s murder still evident. Blood stained the yellowed tile; silverware was scattered across the counter.  _ This was the room where it happened _ . 

There was a tape outline against the floor, it resembled that of Nathaniel. The tape figure was sprawled with his arms flung out at his sides as though, in his final moments, Nathaniel had attempted to shield himself from his attacker. Nearby, chairs had been overturned from when Alex had...When Alex had,  _ oh God _ . 

She’d almost forgotten, Alex had been attacked that night too. The killer had gone after Alex too, determined not to leave any witnesses. It’d been Eliza’s screams that had saved him, her threats of having called 911 being the only thing keeping Alex from being nothing more than another corpse to deal with. 

She shouldn’t be here; didn’t  _ want _ to be here. Eliza stumbled away, ducking through the front door and finding her way back to the corner she had spent so many hours and slid down against the wall. Her breath was heavy as she cupped a hand over her lips. 

_ Alex isn’t dead _ , Eliza reminded herself.  _ You got there in time, he’s safe. _

The proof was right between her fingers.

She held up the small slip of paper, the only thing proving Alex had ever been there. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough.

Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to get back to Aunt Cassidy’s. Angelica and Peggy would be delighted and, maybe, just a little jealous. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Eliza arrived! That's fun, she'll show back up later, not sure when though, but she's got her purposes in this story and I can't wait to bring her back!  
> There's a bit of a time skip between this and the last chapter in case you didn't notice, I believe it's about two weeks or so? Not much, but enough to get the plot moving a bit.  
> Dang it, literally as I was writing that, I had an idea for Eliza and her sister's later on in the story, guess I'll have to write that in later. It actually would help the plot, so that's good. I discovered the other day that, while I have the main plot figured out, there's still a ton of other stuff that I want in here but I hadn't thought about how I want to implement. Such as relationships, like, Lams and Mullette (Is that Lafayette and Hercules' ship name? I think it is?) and then other things, like Alex and George getting closer and a bunch of other stuff and I can't remember. So yeah, that's where I am right now. Basically the stuff that'll help slow the story down a bit because focusing on a single thing can get a bit boring. To me, anyway. Unless it's a oneshot, then you kinda have to focus on one bit, but that's a oneshot, so it's different , I guess. I don't even know, I'm just rambling at this point, sorry about that.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading, and I'll put up chapter eight on Friday, see ya!


	8. Chapter Eight: Alex Is Tired; Lafayette Brings News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chat with Lafayette quickly derails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning, someone does have a panic attack in this chapter, if that's something that upsets you, please be careful. I kept it pretty nondescript, but still. It's near the end, so be careful, please!

Alex collapsed against his bed, the springs groaning against the sudden weight. His backpack slumped to one side as he pulled free from the straps and stretched before slumping against the mattress again. Alex was exhausted, to put it simply.

He hadn’t even done much, had he?  He thought back through the morning so far, there had been about two hours in the car to the apartment and back, then another hour of packing, and he’d caught up with Eliza for a few minutes, yet, somehow, he could barely keep his eyes open and it was only noon. The sun was still high in the sky, glaring into his bedroom like a thousand tiny flames all coming together in his window, solely to blind Alex. He couldn’t sleep yet anyway, Martha had been trying to get him on a more normal sleep schedule after she discovered just how terrible his really was. According to her, sleep was a key part of doing well in school when he’d start in a few months. 

Oh yeah,  _ school. _

The idea had been brought up several nights ago during dinner. Martha had broached the subject carefully, alluding to it several times, mentioning how much Lafayette enjoyed it there and how he’d be able to see John and Hercules more often. It was like she believed Alex would reject the idea before it was even in the air. Alex however, couldn’t have agreed more. 

He loved summer about as much as any kid did, he loved the free time and the chance to relax. But at the end of the day, he belonged in school. Even with the other kids bothering him, Alex had always preferred it there. It was why he’d come to America in the first place, for a better education than anything he could get back on Nevis. And so, he had every intention of getting just that, even if it killed him. 

His first day of school in America was still a vivid memory. Alex could remember so clearly, walking through those front doors and feeling the stares on his back as he wandered down the halls. Back then, he hadn’t yet lost his voice, he was still rather talkative and didn’t care what the other kids thought just yet. 

So when a boy in his first hour made some snippy remark about Alex’s worn to the bone sneakers, Alex had bitten right back. After that, he got in fights with many of the kids in his class and even a few teachers. It never got farther than yelling at one another, he wasn’t looking to hurt anyone and, for a while, he’d thought the same went for everyone else.

However, he’d been proven wrong rather quickly, it didn’t help that Alex lost his voice just when things started getting bad. Things had gone downhill quickly after that, but he hadn’t cared much after that. He’d simply bit his tongue and moved through the day, his mind constantly reminding Alex just what his mouth had caused the last time he opened it. 

_ That poor woman.  _

So,  _ maybe _ the thought of going back to school shouldn’t have been so appealing, maybe the idea should have made Alex turn tail and run as fast as he could. But the thought of being able to finished what he’d set out to do so long ago, well, that managed to excite him. He’d just have to keep his head low, it wasn’t like he’d know anyone there anyway. What was the harm?

He told the Washingtons he couldn’t wait.

Alex yawned as he got up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He pulled the bag to him, unzipping it and pulling out what lay within. 

Once he’d made a thorough mess atop his bed, Alex shifted through the small pile and pulled out his books and notebooks, placing them in a neat line along the guest bedroom’s only shelf.

_ No, _ he reminded himself.  _ My Bedroom _ . 

A few days ago, Alex had referred to his new room as the guest bedroom in front of Lafayette and had received a quick but stern talking to, half of which was in french, about how it was simply  _ Alex’s room _ now, as he was no longer a guest. Alex had been sure not to call it anything else since then.  

With the shelf stocked, well, part of it, anyway, he turned back to his bed just as there was a loud knock at the door.

Lafayette, he assumed. George and Martha’s knocks were much softer.

“Come in, Laf,” he called.

The door swung open and Lafayette bounced in, “you knew it was me. You are a very good guesser,  _ mon ami. _ ”

He ambled over, excited as per usual, and immediately began helping Alex fold his clothes, stacking them in the dresser as he went. “You have too little clothes, Alexander. But it is no matter, I will simply tell Martha and I am sure she can help you.”

Alex shut the bottom drawer and turned back to him. “Should I even try saying you don’t have to?”

“Nope!” Lafayette grinned as he took a handful of stray paper and stacked it neatly on the corner of his desk, smoothing as many crinkles from them as he could. Alex had learned quickly that Laf wasn’t one to take no for an answer, always insistant in what he wished. More often than not, he had good intentions, thankfully. Who knew what Laf could do with that kind of power otherwise. But insistent all the same. Whether he was coercing Hercules into an ice cream or dragging Alex out of his bedroom ( _ you must get out more! You are much too pale, mon ami! _ ), he usually got what he wanted. Alex had a feeling that no one had the heart to say anything other than yes. That was certainly  _ his  _ excuse.

“Figures,” Alex said.

“So, how did it go? Did you, perhaps, find a piece of crucial evidence that the police missed that will now become the key to solving this terrible misdeed?” He asked, his eyes widening dramatically as he watched Alex expectantly.

He couldn’t help but laugh, “no. Nothing like that, I did see Eliza though. The one I was writing to a while ago?”

“Ah! Yes, yes, your Eliza. How is she?”

“She’s not  _ my _ Eliza, Laf, it’s not like that.” he said, shoving the now empty backpack under the bed. Maybe he could use it when school started up. “But she was fine. A little upset that I hadn’t called her, but fine all the same.”

“My apologies, but I am glad she is okay. But, I thought you sent her a letter, no?”

“I sent it to her dad’s,” he explained. “She’s been staying at her aunt’s for the past few weeks.”

“Ah, I see. As long as she is okay. Did you know that I have met Eliza before? Her father invited Mama, Papa, and I for dinner one night. She and her sisters are lovely girls,” he said. 

“They are,” Alex’s face fell, just a fraction. “I hope they’re okay. They’ve got a lot going on too, and then I had to leave.”

Lafayette threw an arm over Alex’s shoulders and pulled him closer. “Do not fret, Alexander. The Schuylers are a resilient clan, I am certain that they will be just fine. You are doing what you can, I’m sure Eliza understands you could not control this. Do not blame yourself.”

“I know,” he mumbled. “I just hate not being able to help.” 

“You are doing what you can, that is enough,”  Lafayette said. “Now, I do have news that I think will make you rather happy.”

“What?”

“Hercules and John are coming over tonight!” He exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Really? Since when?” He asked, pulling away from Lafayette, his eyes wide.

“John called me just after you left, he felt we should, how you say,  _ hang out _ , before the summer is up and we don’t see each other as much.” 

“Well, that’s great,” Alex said. “But there’s still over a month yet until school starts. Plus, won’t we being seeing them  _ more _ during the school year than we do now?”

“John is a strange boy, he cares very much for his friends. I do not question his ways, if he wishes to come over, I will not be the one to stop him.”

“That’s fine by me, I guess. But, Laf, why don’t we go over to John’s house? We’re always here, or at Hercules’.”

“We just prefer it that way,” was all he said.

“But, never? Isn’t that a little weird?”

Lafayette’s eyes turned serious as he looked down at Alex. 

“Alexander, you must understand,” he said quietly.  “Things are difficult for our John. In recent months, Mr. Laurens, John’s father, has proven to be a very bad man when he wishes to be. Ever since Mrs. Laurens died, he has changed, greatly. Hercules and I have learned that it is best to accept without question if John wishes to come over.”

_ Oh _ , well that explained a lot.

John never spoke of his father or anything to do with his home life, really. Only that he and his father didn’t get on well. Alex had wanted to ask about it for a while, but it had always seemed like a sensitive subject and he didn’t want to risk upsetting John and pushing him away. 

Alex knew well enough what it was like to want to get away. He'd spend plenty of nights at the Schuyler's home, after things got particularly nasty. He could still hear Nathaniel screaming at him, demanding that he start pulling his own weight or to get out. All the while, getting angrier and angrier, strutting about the small apartment, eyes fiery. Not that Alex even  _ could _ ‘pull his own weight’. Not when Nathaniel wanted him home at  _ exactly _ three o’clock and in his room by eight. And of course, before then, he had to do his homework, wash the dishes, clean the living room, order dinner - because, of course, Nathaniel never went grocery shopping until it was absolutely necessary -, then clean up dinner, and-

He couldn’t breath, then, it was like the oxygen had been sucked from the room, all he could see was his old apartment, with its stained walls and cluttered rooms and the kitchen, blood still staining the ground, and  _Nathaniel_. 

Always Nathaniel, wherever Alex went, he was there, breathing down his neck,  _ watching _ everything he did. He was a constant presence in the back of his mind, scrutinizing every detail of Alex’s life.

It was as though he were suffocating, memories closing in around him until they stole away reality. His room was gone, Lafayette was gone, he couldn’t breath. Why couldn't he breath? 

 

“Alex-Alexander!”

Very suddenly, Alex was snapped back to reality.

Lafayette was shaking him, he was panting. When had that happened? Washington was there too, why?

“Alexander...Son, can you hear me?” He was asking, a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m not…” Alex trailed off and nodded instead, shrugging the hand away. 

“Good, good. Are you all right now?” Washington pulled away, stepping back.

“Yeah.” He muttered, staring at a chip in the wall behind Washington. He’d never noticed it before.

“Alexander,” Lafayette said, his voice barely above a whisper. “What happened,  _ mon aim _ ? You were there one moment and the next...”

“I-I don’t--” All eyes were on Alex and he wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t like it. 

“Lafayette, why don’t you go tell Martha that everything's all right now. I’ll stay with Alex,” Washington suggested gently.

Lafayette hesitated, clearly not wanting to leave, but nodded solemnly and made his way to the door. “I will be back later. Do not worry, Alexander.”

The door shut with a soft click and Alex was left alone with Washington. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Alex pulled his knees to his chest and shrugged tiredly. “I don’t know, just got nervous, I guess.”

“About what? John and Hercules coming over? We can cancel, if you’d like.”

“ _ No, _ ” he cried, it was the only thought that came through clearly. After what Lafayette had told him, there was no way that was happening. “That’s not it. I was thinking about something, it’s not important.”

“If it wasn’t important, then why did you get so upset?” He asked, watching Alex carefully.

“‘Cause,” he mumbled. “Maybe it was a  _ little _ important.” It was starting to come back now, Lafayette had mentioned Mr. Laurens, it must have stirred up some bad memories.

“That’s what I figured. Alexander,” Washington settled himself against the bed beside Alex. “Did this have anything to do with your cousin?”

“Why would you think that?”

“You were saying his name,” he explained. “And you didn’t sound too happy.”

Who sounded happy during a panic attack? 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said quietly. “If that’s okay with you, sir.”

“We don’t have to. But Alex, you know you can talk to me, right? And Martha too, we want to help,” he said.

“There’s really nothing to worry about. I’m fine.” Alex said, hugging his knees tighter. He just wanted to forget this had even happened, why couldn’t Washington leave already?

He saw Washington staring at him, his eyes were narrowed slightly. According to Lafayette there was a face Washington made when he thought you were lying, Alex figured this was it.

“You’re sure you still want Hercules and John to come over tonight?”

He nodded quickly. 

Washington frowned, like he’d been hoping Alex would say otherwise. “All right, but I want you to  _ rest _ until then. Okay? Those boys like to stay up for a long time, I wouldn’t want you to fall asleep during your first sleepover with them.”

“Okay,” he agreed.  Sleep  _ did _ sound nice right now. He’d been up late last night in anticipation of going back to his old apartment and attacks like these always left him exhausted. “But only ‘cause I’m tired,” he mumbled.

Washington stood, “of course"

Briefly, Alex felt a pang of guilt against his chest, this would certainly ruin Martha's new sleep schedule.

"Sleep well, son,” Washington muttered, stepping outside.

Alex was asleep before he could correct him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That wasn't too bad, was it? That's the first time I've written out a panic attack, I've had plenty myself so I tried to describe them the way I've experienced them in the past. So, hopefully it wasn't too terrible.  
> This and the next chapter move a bit too quickly for my taste, but oh well, I kinda wanted it that way, at least with the next one.  
> Anyway, next up, we see what's John is up to the hours leading up to the sleep over!


	9. Chapter Nine: John Investigates; Henry Acts Suspicious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John does some snooping around the house.  
> He doesn't like what he finds.

When he was younger, John had always wanted to be a detective.

He could remember being a toddler and scurrying through the house, searching for clues to solve whatever mystery he had thought up that week.

At the time, it had been only play, a pass time while his mother cooked dinner and his father was at work. He’d never known that his games would come to aid him in a real investigation later in life.

How could he? No one ever expected their fathers to be potential criminals.

But when the possibility to fulfill his lifelong dream _and_ get away from his father presented itself, John dove right in.

 

* * *

 

Henry Laurens wasn’t a good man, not by any stretch of the word, before the accident, he was constantly coming home late with no explanation and often leaving John and his mother with nothing more than a few mumbled excuses or the occasional cold glare in John’s general direction.

However, after the accident, after his mother was gone, life at the Laurens’ household seemed to spiral out of control. John could handle to occasional glare or accusatory comment thrown his way, he’d grown up with that. But now, Henry hardly spoke to John, and when he did it was usually a reminder of some chore John had already done hours earlier or a jab at his art. Somehow, John decided, that was worse.

He spent most of his time out of the house now, with Lafayette or Hercules, or, most often, as of late, Alexander. Ever since he’d arrived in town, he and John had begun to grow rather close, maybe it was just the joy of not being stuck as the third wheel anymore, but he really liked Alex. He was...Interesting.

Unfortunately, he could only spend so much of the day with his friends and, by the time the sun went down, John usually found himself returning home before dark. One night however, a few weeks ago, he’d failed to notice just how late it was getting and didn’t return home until well into the evening. Henry had been in the living room, the lights dim as he raved to the empty house.

Used to his father’s ramblings, John had made to sneak up the stairs, but when he heard Henry mention his mother, he froze. Eleanor Laurens had been on a strict taboo since her death. So the fact he mentioned her was...Surprising, to say the least.

 _“Don-Don’t worry, Eleanor,”_ he’d slurred. _“I got him. He mighta-mighta gotten you, but I-I got him. Got him reeeaaallll good.”_

“D-Dad?” John had called. “Is everything okay?”

 _“John!”_ He’d cried, his eyes excited for the first time in ages. _“I’m great, son. I got ‘im. I did it, I-I-I finally did it.”_

He’d come a bit closer, peering nervously from the stairwell. “Did what, Dad?”

 _“It, John,_ it. _”_ Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He’d refused to say more after that. But John’s hands had shook the entire way up the steps.

The next morning, Henry had made no mention of it. Hadn’t even seemed to remember he’d said anything. But he’d been more on edge after that, his eyes darting about like he expected the world to crumble to pieces if he let his guard down even a moment. He watched John too, like he expected John to rat him out, over what he didn’t know yet.

 

* * *

 

Since then, John had done well to avoid his father. He’d been sure to be gone long before Henry woke up and in his room long before Henry returned home. At night, he listened carefully from the top of the steps for any more hints to just what his father may have done.

Some days, however, John stayed home, waiting for Henry to leave, before slipping from his bedroom and nosing through the house in the hopes of finding...Well, he wasn’t sure what. Anything that would help him figure out the truth.

 _Evidence_ , his mind supplied.

Evidence of what? The crime his father may or may not have committed?

John groaned as he padded through the house. Henry had left already, he really wasn’t sure what the man did anymore, but it kept food on the table, so he tried not to question it.  John had been attempting to search the house. But his search had been proving to be more difficult than expected. He figured if Henry really had done something, there’d have to be proof here of all places. It only made sense. All he needed was _something_ to show what he’d done.

 _Might have done_ , he reminded himself.  Nothing was certain. Not yet.

He’d been through the entire house, aside the basement, that had always been kept locked, but had come up with nothing. The only room left to check was the last place he wanted to go. The bedroom, even Henry hadn’t been in there since his mother died, as far as John knew anyway.

The room was his last shot at the truth, if he didn’t find anything here, then he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Maybe find a way into the basement, but what if there was nothing there either?

John stopped outside the door, the hinges creaking as he pushed it open. Inside was just as he remembered it. A queen size bed was placed in the center of the room, covered by a thick brown comforter, a vanity was to the left, and a door leading off to the bathroom to the right. He shut the door behind him, locking it as a second precaution. The last thing he needed was for Henry to walk in on him.

He went first for the vanity, if _he_ was going to hide incriminating evidence, he’d  probably hide it in his sock drawer too. Pulling open the top drawer revealed nothing but a neat pile of his mother’s old make-up, deep red lipsticks and pale blushes were piled inside, but nothing to indicate a crime had taken place. John shut it gently and moved onto the next. Opening another revealed old photographs, one displayed a young John, ice cream smeared across his face as he draped himself across an older woman’s shoulder. His grandmother, if he remembered correctly. Another showed his parents, it looked like their wedding day. The two posed for the camera, their eyes wide with excitement and their faces still young. The final was his mother, she was a bit older in this one, a few more wrinkles than most her age splayed across her forehead, a hand was placed over her round belly as she stared into the camera, she didn’t look as excited in this one. John slammed the drawer and moved on.

The rest of the drawers yielded similar results, there was nothing but jewelry and more make-up as far as the eye could see.

Next came his father’s wardrobe, but beyond a few suits and a key hidden in the pocket of an old hunting jacket, it was clean. He swiped the key and shut the doors. With only the bathroom left, he turned and searched quickly, but found nothing, yet again.  

Maybe...Maybe John was wrong.

He turned to leave, he could look again later, see if he could find a way into the basement.

Maybe, in his drunken stupor, Henry had only said what he hoped to do, to avenge his wife, to kill whoever had left her there to die. But then, that didn’t explain his father’s behavior recently. The way he seemed so, _so_ on edge, constantly looking behind him and peering out the windows, like he expected all of New York’s law enforcement crew to come busting down his front door. But other days...Other days, John would spot him in the living room, sometimes with a friend or two, and he would be the most confident man John had ever seen. Throwing his arms about as he spoke, his voice as loud and boisterous as ever. Like he hadn’t a care in the world.

John didn’t understand it, not at all.

The only thing John could figure, was that, perhaps, this was Henry’s way of dealing with everything. The sudden responsibility of _actually_ having to take care of his kid and the lack of wife to clean house and do all the things he didn’t want to had begun weighing on him in ways John couldn’t have thought possible. John imagined it had come as a bit of a shock, Henry was dealing with it in his own way.

_So he went out and killed a man?_

John froze over the threshold.

He’d never let the thought cross his mind, had promised to never let it fully develop unless he absolutely had to. If it developed, it became real. If it became real, then that made Henry Laurens a killer. And if Henry Laurens was a killer, then that meant _John Laurens_ had managed to lose _both_ his parents in under a year. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to face that, no matter how insufferable Henry was.

He turned back and surveyed the room one last time, he’d left it exactly as he’d found it. His mother’s lipsticks were in the same pile they were left and the bottom drawer of the dresser had been left just barely ajar, just as it always was.

Everything had been left exactly the same, except, no, it wasn't. 

What was that?

John stepped back in the room and knelt down. There was something... _Shining_ beneath the bed. He reached under and his hands grasped a small box. He glanced nervously about the area and pulled it into his lap.

The box was about the size of a text book and as thick as one too, with a chipped paint the color of mustard coating it. It was latched with a small padlock. John shook the box gently and heard something clanging inside. _What_ was _this?_ He tugged on the padlock, only to find a series of numbers along the bottom. A code.

He tried first his mother’s birthday, when that didn’t work, he tried his parent’s wedding anniversary, then his birthday, then every other important date he could think of, his grandparents anniversaries, their birthdays, even when John got his first dog.

When those ran out, he tried one more.

The lock clicked.

Of course Henry Laurens would use his _own_ birthday.

John pulled the lock free and lifted the lid. His heart skipped a beat. Inside was a gun. A newer, rather sleek one. He’d known his parents owned one, of course. His mother had grown up in a bad neighborhood and once moving out here had insisted that they get one, it was one of the few things John had ever seen his mother fight for growing up. He doubted she thought it would get used in the way John was starting to believe.

His hands shaking, John pulled the gun from the box, it was heavier than he expected. He turned it absently between his fingers, “I could be holding a murder weapon,” he murmured. “I could be holding the key to everything going on around here. Now what?”

The gun had always been kept hidden in the wardrobe, not under the bed. It was loaded too, two bullets were left in the chamber. His mother never let Henry load it, thought he’d blow someone’s head off before they had a chance to explain themselves. Eleanor had wanted to protect her family, not kill anyone, she’d always insisted the sight alone would scare the thief away long before Henry had to fire.

But now it was loaded and under the bed. Why? What had Henry done? Who had he…?

A door slammed downstairs and John leapt back, barely stopping himself from crashing into the vanity. His time was up, he needed to get out. _Now_.

John dropped the gun back in the box and put it back where he found it. Downstairs, he could hear Henry rustling through the kitchen, the ice box slammed and there was the familiar sound of a bottle being popped open.

John jumped up and sprang for the door, unlocking it and darting outside. His heart raced as he entered his bedroom. His first thought was to get out, to run as far from his father as he could. But then, he realized he didn’t know where to go nor would he be able to leave without some kind of excuse.  Of course, Laf had always said he was welcome whenever he needed...

The phone was in his hand before John even realized what he was doing and the text was sent soon after. He pulled a bag from his closet and shoved a set of clothes inside along with whatever other belongings he thought necessary for the night.

He was going to the only place he _knew_ was safe, if only for one night.

John was going to the Washingtons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, John found a gun. That's never good...  
> Like I said, this chapter moves a bit quickly. I wanted it that way though, I mean, he's literally searching for evidence, you gotta move quickly. But, if anyone feels it was TOO fast, let me know, I may be able to fix it. Add something in or whatever, just as long as it's bearable to read!  
> Anyway, next chapter brings us to the sleep over, wonder how that's gonna go? Well, I already know since I wrote it, like, a week ago. You'll all have to wait though, see ya!


	10. Chapter Ten: John Is A Wreck; Hercules Is Adorable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John is upset, Alex is exhausted. Hercules just wants to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm not going to be able to post tomorrow so I'm doing it a day early, enjoy! The next chapter will be up on Monday as usual!

When Hercules arrived, the tension in the air was more than palpable, as if he could reach out and grasp a handful between his fingers like sand. He’d been met by Martha at the door, her lips were pressed into a tight smile that couldn’t quite reach her eyes. She’d taken his bag and left him in the living room where his friends already resided.

The scene was more than a little upsetting. 

John sat at the far end of the room, slumped against the couch’s armrest, watching Lafayette as he spoke about one thing or another. His eyes were rimmed with red, but no tears could be seen. He looked older, like a million years had passed since Hercules had seen him, not two days ago. Over the years, Hercules had become more than familiar with these looks, often times, they were the result of a fight with his father, Henry. He’d begun seeing it more and more in recent months and it was all Hercules could do not to show up at John’s house and confront Henry himself.

On the other end of the couch, as far from anyone as he could get, was Alex. In the few short weeks Hercules had known him, Alex had slowly begun to climb out of his shell, cautiously beginning to voice his own opinions and even crack a joke or two if he was in an especially good mood. Now, however, he sat in the center of the cushion, looking smaller than he ever had, knees drawn tightly to his chest as he, too, listened to Lafayette, chestnut hair falling in his face.  

Meanwhile, between the two, was Lafayette himself. He sat amidst John and Alex, somehow managing to chat amiably to the two, excitedly going on about some old movie Washington had shown him a while ago. He’d always been good at that, keeping calm no matter what was happening. Hercules had always loved it.

“I simply do not understand! The girl could have easily made room for her lover on the door.” Lafayette was saying as Hercules entered. Alex was nodding mindlessly, John didn’t seem to be paying attention.

“Hey guys.” He interrupted, stopping in the doorway. 

“Hercules!” Lafayette cried happily. “You are finally here, come in, please.” His eyes darted to Hercules almost pleadingly,  _ please help me, _ they said. 

“So,” Hercules strolled into the room and planted himself next to John. ‘What’s going on?”

“Romance, lots of romance,” John said absently.

“And boats,” Alex added. “Can’t forget the boats.”

“I have been telling them about some of the movies Papa and I have watched recently,” Lafayette explained. 

“Clearly, so what’ve you guys been up to? Oh, Alex, how did your trip home go?” He asked, if he could just ease the tension a bit, maybe he could salvage this.

“It was fine,” Alex said. “I saw a friend.”

“Yes,” Lafayette interrupted. “His  _ Eliza _ . The lovely girl he told us about the other day.”

“Really?” Hercules turned to face Alex. “How did that go?” 

“Great, actually.” Alex said, brightening a little. “We got to catch up and I finally got to get all my stuff together.”

“You will have to see it,” Lafayette said. “His room is starting to look like a real bedroom!”

He laughed, until now, Alex’s room, from what Hercules had seen, had been barren. It had felt empty, something Hercules hadn’t been able to stand, he had a feeling Alex felt the same. Anytime Hercules was over, he’d find Alex nearly anywhere else beside the bedroom, most of the time, he’d be in Lafayette’s room. Though, a few times, he’d been found Alex in the kitchen, silently watching Martha bake. He didn’t say much, but Martha didn’t seem to mind.

“We’ll have to check it out later, maybe we can even hang out in there for a change.” 

“Maybe,” Alex said, settling his chin against his elbows.

“What was it like going back home? Did you see anyone else while you were there?”

“No,” Alex said. “It wasn’t like that.” He looked away, dodging Hercules’ eyes.

Hercules gnawed the inside of his cheek, a habit he’d tried to drop more times than he could count because it had begun ruining the skin there, but failed each time, and sat back. Alex was closing up again, back to one word answers and distant stares. He needed to find out what was wrong, but Alex clearly wasn’t going to say anything and he didn’t want to ask Lafayette with everyone else around.  

Yes, he could easily drag Lafayette from the room right now, could say he needed help with something, but John would know what he was doing. With the mood he was in, the last thing Hercules wanted was John to think they were keeping something from him.

What he  _ really _ needed was a way to get both John and Alex out of the room for a little while, a reason for them to leave that wouldn’t seem like Hercules was up to something. He glanced around, Alex was pressed against himself, eyes drooping as he fought to stay awake. Lafayette was at his side, gently nudging Alex in an attempt to keep him up. His dark hair had been pulled back, tight curls exploding at the nape of his neck. Meanwhile, John had shifted on the couch to face his friends, watching them curiously. If he hadn’t known better, Hercules may have thought John was fine, with the way he lounged in his seat, like he was exactly where he needed to be. But Hercules did know better and couldn’t miss twitch in John’s fingers, the way they always did when something had upset him.

He needed to fix this.

“So, John,” he said, turning away from Alex. “You called for the sleepover, anything you were wanting to do tonight?”

“Hmm? Oh,” he shrugged. “Movie night, maybe? We haven’t done that in forever.” 

Lafayette lit up. “We could watch the movies Papa showed me!”

“Ah...Maybe,  _ or _ , we could watch literally anything else,” John said.

There he was, just a glimmer, but John reappeared, leaving the boy he’d arrived to behind. He just had to keep him here for the night. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

“Fine, we will find something else. Alexander, do you have any suggestions?”

“Me?” He seemed flustered, the sleep disappearing from his eyes. Alex got that way sometimes, seeming surprised anytime he was addressed, the thought of anyone wanting to hear what he had to say was foreign. “I don’t-I don’t care,” he said.

“How about Laf and I go find something? You guys can get things in here set up in the meantime,” Hercules suggested. Maybe he could just pull Lafayette to the side for a moment, just a few minutes, that was all he needed.

“We should all go, this is Alex’s first movie night, he should get a say in what we watch,” John said. Because  _ of course _ he couldn’t make this simple.

“Okay, fine, let’s just--”

“Boys?” A voice interrupted. 

Hercules turned to the entryway. Martha had appeared, the worry from before had disappeared, in its place was a cheery twinkle in her eye that did well to mask what she had been feeling earlier.

“Yes, Mama?” Lafayette looked up toward his mother. 

“Would any of you be able to come with me to pick up dinner? George still has some work to get done and I’m afraid I can’t carry it all on my own,” she said.

“Certainly,” Lafayette stood. “We can meet you outside in just a moment.”

“Oh!” She said quickly, “there’s no need for all of you to come, I only need two of you, really. John, Alex? Would you two mind coming along? We’ll only be a few minutes.”

_ Oh _ , so that’s what she was up to. Hercules smirked, Martha had always managed to be one step ahead of them. It seemed he wouldn’t be needing that distraction after all.  Apparently, Martha wanted him and Lafayette to talk as well. 

John and Alex had stood and were making their way out of the room. “We’ll be back soon, you two. Lafayette, dear, you and Hercules go set the table. Be  _ quick _ .” She told them, looking pointedly toward Hercules. Great, find out what was wrong with John, what happened to Alex, and  _ exactly _ what they were going to do about it all in the time it took Martha to pick up dinner. 

It could be done, he wasn’t sure how, but it could be. These were his friends he was talking about, it had to be. 

 

* * *

 

When the others had left, Hercules and Lafayette filed into the kitchen. Lafayette reached into the cabinet above his head, pulling out a stack of shining white porcelain plates and placed them on the table. Hercules placed a few mugs beside them along with a few napkins. 

“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “What happened with Alex?”

Lafayette pulled out a chair and sank down, frowning. “I do not know, not completely. We were discussing John coming over and he…” His eyebrows scrunched together, “I believe Mama called it a panic attack?”

“Really?” He wasn’t that surprised, Alex was always a bit nervous, so anxiety of some kind would make sense. But what caused it? “Is he okay?” 

“Yes, he is only tired, Alex has not been sleeping well, I think this simply put him over the edge. He will be fine, I think, he seems to want to forget it.”

“Do you know what caused it?” Hercules asked, taking the seat across him. 

“I’m not sure, we were talking about John and how he has to come over often because of his father.”

“Henry. What about him?”

“Well, I may have told Alex some of our suspicions about him, I did not mean to upset him.” Lafayette said, looking incredibly guilty.

He placed a hand over Lafayette’s. “It’s okay, you didn’t mean to. Alex is going to be fine, like you said, he’s tired. It probably just brought up some bad memories.” Not that it should, no one should have to get that scared over something that happened in the past. They’d all tried asking about where he came from, but Alex always shied away from anything to do with his past home, or homes, as they were beginning to learn. The only one to make any progress in that regard was John, who had been growing especially close to Alex. He wouldn’t say everything that Alex had told him, but so far they knew Alex had been living with a cousin after his mother’s death. That was all John would say without feeling he was betraying Alex. 

“I wish I could have stayed with him, he looked so scared.”   
“I know, don’t worry about it, okay? He’s all right and so are you.”

From his seat, Lafayette glanced out the window, Martha wasn’t back yet. Now for the hard part, John. Because he had texted Lafayette, Hercules was still clueless as to what had happened, if anyone even knew. John had a habit of leaving out the important details, most of the time, he would text either Hercules of Lafayette, asking to come over, but never saying why. The most detailed reason he ever gave was along the lines of  _ my dad and I got in a fight _ .

“We should talk about John,” he said.

“Yes, we should. I assume he didn’t tell you anything?” Asked Lafayette.

“He didn’t even text me, the only reason I knew to come was because you called me,” Hercules said.

“John has not told me anything either, I tried asking when he first arrived, but he did not wish to chat.”

“Sounds about right.” He paused. “Hey, do you think he’d talk to Alex? I mean, they’ve gotten pretty close, haven’t they?”

“Well, yes. But I am not sure that would be the best idea. If even mentioning Mr. Laurens scared him, then I do not like the thought of him purposefully discussing it.”

“True,” he muttered. “You’re right, maybe we should focus on cheering the two of them up, or, in Alex’s case, just keeping him awake.”

Lafayette laughed, “you mentioned a movie, yes? Alexander told me he has never seen the movie with the fish, I think he would like it.”

“The fish? Laf, there are a million movies with fish.”

“You know,” he said. “The one with...With the lost child and the forgetful one. Le monde de Nemo, as it was called back home.”

“I think you mean  _ Finding Nemo. _ ” He laughed, having lived in France until age eight, Lafayette tended to refer to movies by their French names, meaning his friends constantly had to  decipher just what he was trying to say. It could get confusing, especially if he got aggravated and began rambling entirely in French. 

“Oh, yes, that is what you call it. I found out that he has never seen it, something I cannot ignore. So I think it would be very fun.”

“We could do that, it’d give everyone a chance to relax. Maybe we can make some popcorn too.”

“Ah…” Lafayette made a face, “Mama banned popcorn from the living room after last time.”

“After last-- _ Oh _ , yeah. I forgot about that.” Last time they’d had a sleepover had been a week or so before Alex arrived and Hercules and John had gotten into an argument over who they thought the killer was in the movie they were watching. One thing had led to another and Hercules ended up dumping a bowl of popcorn over John’s head. “That’s fair.”

“Yes, we are still finding kernels in the couch cushions.”

“Sorry about that, guess I take my murder mysteries a little too seriously,” he admitted.

Lafayette shrugged, “I found it rather adorable.” He sat up. “Ah, Mama has returned and she brings pizza!” He stood quickly, running for the door to help before Hercules could stop him.

He followed after Lafayette, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Adorable, not what he was usually called, but he liked it. He liked it a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't tell you how many times I wrote and rewrote this chapter. First it was in John's perspective, then Lafayette's, then John's again, before I finally decided on Hercules...Gah! This one gave me some trouble at first, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm so Alex in this one though, in regards to the whole Finding Nemo thing. I didn't see it until I was fourteen. My friends found this out and were honestly horrified, we ended up watching it that same night, still haven't seen Finding Dory though, a friend said it's great though. He's been hounding me to watch it for months now.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed, see ya!


	11. Chapter Eleven: Alex Confesses; Someone Is Watching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John feels better and has a chat with Alex.

John lost interest halfway through the movie. He tried to focus at first, he’d rather focus on a couple of talking fish attempting to find their son than thinking about anything else happening in his life right now.

But then Lafayette and Hercules had started chatting about one thing or another and John soon found the movie becoming a dull static in the background. He knew what they were trying to do, the same they did anytime one of them was upset, distract and entertain. Once when Lafayette had been homesick, John and Hercules had spent the afternoon attempting to make French recipes. They’d failed horribly, but by the end of it, Lafayette was laughing so hard he'd forgotten he was even upset.

A part of him tried to be annoyed, he’d just found out his own father was a could be killer, he should be upset, he should be freaking out, he should be _doing_ something. But his friends were exceptionally good at their jobs and John found himself joining in right alongside them, even if he wasn’t as invested as he usually would be. But the thought never seemed to leave, a constant weight in the back of his mind. A reminder of what he eventually would have to face.

Alex however, was enthralled. He still looked exhausted, but something about panicked fish and Hercules and Lafayette’s antics seemed to fascinate him. One second he’d be looking to the TV and the next he’d be watching his friends, his head swiveled so much, John worried it was going to break.

John scooted toward him, “having fun?”

“Could say that, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be looking at. What are they talking about?”

“Who knows,” he heard Hercules say something about the camp he’d been to earlier that summer, Lafayette looked shocked. “What’re you thinking so far?”

“It’s...Not what I imagined, for sure. But I like it, this is so different than when I’d hang out with the Schuylers back home.”

“The Schuylers,” John said. “You mentioned them before, Eliza right? And she’s got a few sisters.”

Alex nodded and yawned widely. “Yeah, Angelica and Peggy, they’ve got a few other siblings too, but I’ve never met them.”

“So you guys are pretty close?” John asked,

“We are. We all went to school together, so I saw them all the time,” he shook his head. "When I saw Eliza, she was so worried. I thought she was going to bite my head off.”

“You disappeared for a month, without some much as a word to what happened. I think that’d leave anybody a little upset.”

“It’s not like I wanted to,” he mumbled, sinking into the couch.

“No one plans this kind of stuff, it just happens.” Not that John knew what the _stuff_ was, Alex had yet to tell him.

“No,” he said quietly. “They don’t.”

John shifted uncomfortably, maybe it was time to change the subject. “ _Anyway,_ Laf told me you’ll be coming to school with us next month.”

Alex brightened at that and turned to face him, back pressing against the armrest. “Yeah, I should be. It’s the one down the street, right?”

“That’s the one, it’s better than it looks, I promise.” While John liked his school, but he’d be the first to admit the place appeared a tad ramshackle, the grass was dead in most places and the front steps were visibly worn after years of students trampling them. The teachers were better, as were the students, mostly. There were always the bullies, but they were easy enough to ignore.

“It can’t be worse than the ones back in St. Croix,” Alex said.

“Where?”

Alex blinked, apparently realizing what he’d said. “Nowhere, just my old village.”

“You lived in a village, Alexander?” Lafayette asked. He and Hercules had abandoned their own conversation, now looking intently at John and Alex.

“Uh, y-yeah, I did. But that was a long time ago.” The movie played on behind them, but no one was paying any attention, all eyes were on Alex now, who was attempting to disappear into the couch cushions.

“Where was it?” John asked.

“Nevis,” he said nervously. “It’s an island in the Caribbean.”

“Really? I’ve never heard of it,” said Hercules.

“That sounds...Really cool,” John said.

Alex shrugged, “it was okay.”

“Okay? Living on an island sounds _awesome_. Did you live near the beach? What was it like?”

“It was life, I guess. But, I like it here more.” He yawned again.

“Why did you leave?” John asked.

“It’s a long story, life got complicated and I had the opportunity to come here, so I took it,” Alex explained.

“Perhaps you could tell it to us?” Lafayette suggested.

“Maybe another time,” Alex said, leaning back tiredly.

Lafayette frowned and glanced toward the clock, “it is getting late. We should go to bed soon.”

It was only eleven o’clock, usually, they stayed up much later, talking into the night until Washington had to insist they got some sleep.

But tonight was different, everyone was tired and it was starting to show. Alex was about to fall asleep on John’s shoulder and Hercules looked ready to cart them all off to bed if someone yawned again.  Sleep probably wouldn’t be a bad idea, it’d been an eventful day, to be sure. Who knew what tomorrow would bring, he’d just stepped into the deep end of his father’s mess and he could only hope to stay afloat. What if his father wasn’t done? What if he went after someone else, what if he got caught? What then?

“Sounds like a good idea, are you guys ready?” Asked Hercules, looking to John and Alex.

John glanced over at Alex, his eyes were red and tired. If anything, he needed to head to bed so Alex would sleep too,he needed it.

“Yeah, let’s get to bed.”

 

* * *

 

With four of them now, they had decided to split up for the night, Hercules with Lafayette in his room and John with Alex in the other. Lafayette had been right in saying it looked more like a real bedroom now, papers were scattered around the desk with small, cramped handwriting covering each page and the bookshelf decorated with a few old books, several with the covers falling away. Maybe John would get him some new ones for his birthday, whenever that was. On the desk, amidst the mess, was also a single picture frame, the image was grainy and blurred, but what it showed was evident. He could see Alexander, barely nine years old, with a woman, her arms were wrapped around him as they smiled into the camera. His mother, John guessed, the resemblance was shocking. Dark brown hair and wide eyes stared out at John, a single, fleeting moment forever captured in the photo, he wondered if Alex ever wanted to go back to it. Things looked much simpler.  

But now, with the lights out, John saw only dark silhouettes framed against the moonlight, as it filtered through the raised blinds.  Alex told him liked being able to see outside at night.

Beside him, Alex was watching the ceiling, not yet asleep.

“Hey, Alex,” John nudged his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“What happened?”

“Hmm?”

“Laf was pretty worried about you when I got here, .”

“Oh, that.” Alex turned over toward John. “I...Freaked out about some stuff earlier. It’s fine now, just left me kinda tired.”

Freaked out? About what?

“What was it?” He asked, turning as well.

Alex hesitated, face twisting in the darkness. “Nothing, don’t worry about. I was thinking about something that’s-that’s in the past now.”

Alex fell silent, like he’d just realized something important. Whatever it was, he chose not to share.

“Alex?”

“Yes?”

“I need to ask you something weird, but don’t laugh.”

There was a beat of silence. “...Okay, go ahead.”

“I just…” John frowned, how did he word it without giving too much away? He didn’t want Alex involved, not if he didn’t have to be. “...Have you ever seen something that makes you question your whole world?”

There was a single, quiet snort. “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“No, no,” Alex said. “I’m not, promise. But, yeah. I’ve _absolutely_ been there. Is that why you seemed so off when you got here?”

He nodded, but realized Alex wasn't looking. “Yeah, I found something earlier...It wasn’t good.”

“Clearly, what’d you find?”

He nearly let it slip, told Alex everything, but bit back. Not until he had more proof. “I’d rather not say yet, not until I know more. I don’t want to drag you, Herc, and Laf in just yet.”

“Whenever you do, give me a call. Well, give Lafayette a call, I’ve yet to get a phone,” Alex said.

“I will. Anyway,” John tugged the blanket around his shoulders. “It’s late, we should get some sleep, Laf likes to get up early when I stay over, insists on making the most of the summer or something like that.”

“ _Wait_ ,” Alex said quickly. “I-I wanted to tell you something, well, it was Eliza’s idea, actually. But that’s not the point.”

“If Eliza wanted you to tell me, it must be important, what’s going on?”

He could feel Alex’s leg bouncing, the guy never seemed to sit still. Especially when he had something to say.

“I...It’s about Nathaniel and about what happened that night.”

His cousin? So _that’s_ why he was so nervous. Was he going to…

“Alex, you don’t have to--”

“Please, just let me talk.”

He fell silent.

“Nathaniel was murdered, John. The killer came in through the window and...shot him. I don’t even know why.”

“God, Alex, I’m--” He was cut off again.

“Don’t. No sorrys, remember? Anyway, he, uh, ended up spotting me too. I probably would’ve ended up the same as my cousin if it hadn’t been for Eliza.”

Alex went on, telling John the story, every detail he could recall, but John wasn’t listening. Nathaniel; murdered; Henry; gun; shot; _Mom_ . No, how would Henry have even found him? Alex had lived nearly an hour away, but the times lined up. But, _no_ , not now. Not without proof. Evidence was key.  

Alex was still rambling beside him. “They haven’t found the killer yet,” he was saying. “He’s still out there, somewhere. I keep wondering, what if I bring him here? What if he hurts the Washingtons for what _I_ saw, what if--”

Carefully, without thought, John grabbed Alex’s hand, like he’d seen Lafayette do when he got nervous, it always helped then, maybe it would now.

“It’ll be all right, Alex. He-Whoever did it, isn’t going to come here. You’re no where _near_ your old place, how would he even find you?”

“People are smart, John. When they get desperate, they go to extremes. I’m the only thing standing between him and freedom, I’d be willing to bet he’s pretty desperate.”

“Well then, we’ll figure it out. We’re all going to be fine. Don’t worry,” John said.

“You sound so certain.”

“Because I am.”

“I’m glad one of us is.” Alex flipped onto his back, but neither let go of the other’s hand. “You’re right though, we should get some sleep.”

“G’night, Alex.”

“Night, John.”

 

* * *

 

“John, John, wake up.” Someone was shaking him. Hard.

He groaned and batted the hand away. Lafayette, most likely, he always liked to play pranks in the night. Whatever it was, it could wait until morning.

“ _John_ ,” the voice said again, it was tinged with panic.

It didn’t sound like Lafayette though, there was an accent, but not a French one.

“Wha-? Alex?”

“John, get up,” Alex insisted, shaking his shoulder.

“What’s going on? It’s the middle of the night.”

“It was the middle of the night when we went to bed, it doesn’t matter.”

“Okay,” he pushed himself to his elbows. “So why are we awake? Is this a prank? Did Laf and Herc put you up to this?”

Alex looked over at him, shaking his head. “Look outside, now.”

“What why? It’s dark, what do you expect me to see?”

“There’s someone out there, I don’t know who, but they’re out there.”

Someone out where? John squinted through the window, the moon was out, but there wasn’t much to be seen by its light. Alex had to be wrong, he’d been dreaming or was too tired and thought he’d seen a person. But..No, there, out in the road.

There was movement, a silhouette in the streets. Watching the house. John could practically feel their eyes boring into him.

Slowly, John scooted off the bed, away from Alex, somewhere in the night, they had moved closer to one another. He walked to the window, reaching for the lock, ensuring it was secure, before drawing the blinds as tight as they could go.

Whoever it was - though, John had a sinking feeling he knew who it could be - wouldn’t be coming inside. They wouldn’t be brave enough for that, not yet.

He crawled back under the sheets and leaned back. Alex did the same, their hands locked again, neither let go until the sun was up and the visitor had disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, I meant to post this hours ago, but I was a bit distracted today, so I kept forgetting. I hope you enjoyed and (if you live in the U.S. like I do) have a happy Fourth! If you don't, I hope you still have a good day or if you live in Canada then I hope you had a good Canada day! See ya!


	12. Chapter Twelve: George Worries; John Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George drives John home after hearing some worrying news.

George liked to think he was rather good at protecting his family. He’d kept them safe to the best of his abilities, and, considering he had friends on the force, was better than most could do.

But when he came down that morning and heard the boys whispering about a man in the yard, he couldn’t help feeling he’d failed somehow.

He hadn’t meant to listen in, but he had been coming into the kitchen when he’d spotted the four huddled around the dining table, whispering amongst themselves, thinking they were alone.

He heard John first, “I don’t know, Laf, he was just...Watching. It was freaky.”

“He was huge, too, bigger than Washington,” Alex was saying.   

“Are you sure? Perhaps he was only passing by and stopped a moment?” Lafayette suggested, tearing off a piece of toast.

He saw Alexander shaking his head, “he was just standing there, I watched for a few minutes before waking John up. It was no accident.”

“What do you think he wanted?” Asked Hercules.

“Nothing good, that’s for sure.” John leaned forward in his seat, looking round at his friends. “Alex, Laf, you guys need to be careful, okay? We don’t know who this is or what they’re up to, but it obviously isn’t anything good.”

“Of course, we will be very careful, won’t we, Alexander?”

Alex nodded, but his face was grim as he turned to John. “Do you remember what I said last night, John?”

Apparently he did, John’s face fell. “Alex, no. This isn’t because of you. So forget it,” he said stubbornly.

George moved from the doorway, he shouldn’t be hearing this. Not the last part at least, that was a moment for John and Alexander alone. But, someone watching the house? That he should hear, that he  _ needed _ to hear.

Immediately, his thoughts jumped back Nathaniel, whoever killed him was still out there. He knew Charles Lee had kept the details of what happened to Alex quiet...But how hard was it to look into a few files? Lee was known to not keep a careful eye on his belongings, the man had called on more than one occasion asking if George knew where he’d left his car keys, only to call five minutes later saying they’d been in his pocket the entire time.

It was then he decided to enter, schooling his expression to reveal nothing of what he’d heard. “Morning boys, how was your night?”

There were a few mumbled goods and a few looks exchanged,  _ did he hear _ ? they asked. George pretended not to notice.

“Did anything interesting happen? You didn’t get into too much trouble, did you?” He walked to the counter and poured the pot of coffee Martha must have left out.

“Nope, it was quiet,” John said, not looking at him.

“With you four, it’s never quiet,” he replied. “But I’m glad you had fun. John, Hercules, do either of you need a ride?”

Hercules shook his head, “my mom should be here soon.”

“I can walk, it’s not far,” said John.

“No!” Lafayette cried before George could say anything. Sending John a sharp look. “Do not be ridiculous, Papa can drive you home, right Papa?”

He laughed, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Lafayette had volunteered George to keep John away from whoever they believed to be out there. “Of course, whenever you’re ready, just let me know, John.” If there was even a chance of someone out there, then George would do what he could to keep them all safe.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, turning back to his friends.

“I’ll be outside, I need to check some things in the yard,” he said. “But I’ll be ready to leave soon.”

Placing his mug on the counter, George hurried from the kitchen and ducked out the front door. Alex and John would have seen him from the window in Alex’s room. So, whoever it was would’ve been standing near the street, along the shoulder, maybe.

If George could just find something to prove there had been a person, he could work from there. Or he could he nothing at all, that would be preferable. Though, he doubted he wouldn’t, why would the boys make it up? Especially if they didn’t plan on telling him.

George trudged through the yard, he’d need to mow the lawn soon, it was getting a little too long for his liking. But the long blades also meant it would be easier to see if anyone had been through lately, all he’d need to see was trampled grass and he’d be done.

However, none came into view, meaning they either hadn’t come this close or they didn’t exist. He found himself praying for the latter.

George made it to the road. It was a quiet street, cars hardly ever passed by, and if they did, it was at a slow pace, there was no need to go very fast, there wasn’t much out here to speed for. The Washington household lived just off the beaten path, with patches of field surrounding the house and a single road that led back to civilization.

There was no reason for anyone to be out here.

So George’s heart sank to his feet when he spotted boot prints in the gravel.

He glanced quickly back at the house, through the window, he could see the boys, still crowded at the kitchen table. None of them noticed as George dropped to his knees and inspected the prints.

He’d never been one for investigations. George had always been more behind the scenes, making sure paperwork got done and that families were tended to. His work didn’t get as much recognition, but he kept things moving, so he’d stuck with it back when he still worked alongside Charles Lee at the station.

The prints belonged to that of a man, if the size was any indicator, only slightly larger than George’s own foot. Meaning he would have been a size or so above George, a fourteen, maybe? He was most likely a bigger man, then, just as Alex had said.  

But why come here?

In the past, travelers had passed through in search of directions to the nearest hotel or, in some cases, tavern. But they had always come to the front door, gotten what they needed, and left quickly. There was no reason to be watching the house, no reason to stand out here, no reason to be stalking his boys.

George stepped back and, quickly, took a picture of the print with his phone, before turning away and marched back inside. The boys had migrated to the living room, two bags had been left on the couch, Hercules and John’s things, he assumed. A show he didn’t recognize was playing on the TV as the four lounged in a circle on the ground.

The previous panic that had engulfed them had disappeared as they huddled together, laughing at something Hercules had said.

He knocked lightly on the doorframe, “Hercules,” he said. “Your mother is here.” He nodded toward the beige minivan that had just pulled into the driveway.

Hercules frowned, “got it. Laf, walk me out?”

George watched the two walk out, before turning back to the other boys. Before he could say anything, a ringing filled the room. He saw John reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. “It’s my dad,” he told Alex, lifting it to his ear. “Hey dad...Yeah, I was just about to leave...No...I told you I was going to the Washingtons’.”

Over the line, George could hear the angry voice of Henry Laurens, apparently berating his son for coming over.

“ _ Yes _ , Dad, I did tell you...Yes you did, because you refused to drive me, remember? ...What? ...You want to what? Okay, fine. Here,” annoyance was clearly written across John’s face as he passed the phone to George,. “He wants to talk to you.” To George? Since when did that happen? He’d known John for several years, but Henry had rarely wished to speak with George directly.

Confused, he took the device and lifted it to his ear. “Henry,” he greeted, attempting to keep his tone amiable.

Henry’s voice was rough as he spoke, “George. I see my son has run off to you. Again.”

“Ah...Yes, well, when he arrived, it was already late, I couldn’t turn him away.” He replied easily.

“Yes, you could have. I wouldn’t have minded. John made his choice to run off, you could have sent him back.” Over the line, George could hear Henry moving through his home, doors slamming and chair legs squealing across the floor.

“Henry,” he said. “It was late, I apologize if John left without telling you, but I couldn’t just turn him away. It’s dangerous at night, I didn’t want him getting hurt.” A slight lie, perhaps. He’d known, of course, that John was coming, but George would never turn him away, or any child in need, really. It was why he’d first taken in Alexander.

“I told you were I was going,  _ you  _ didn’t listen,” John mumbled from the couch.

“I was told John was going  _ out _ . Then he was gone. All night.” Henry was saying.

“Now,” George interrupted. “I’m sure it was only a simple understanding. There’s no need to be angry with John.”

“George, I’ll have to ask you to stay out of this.” Henry snapped. “I told him, now, I told him, George, I don’t want him hanging around those boys.”

“I’m sorry?” George scowled. “What’s wrong with my boys?”

“They aren’t  _ your _ boys, George. You’ve got one kid, the other one,” Henry coughed, a wet and muffled sound over the phone  “Is mine, and the other belongs to those louts outside town. As for that new runt, I’ve been hearing about? What, did you pick him up off the side of the road? Ya’ feel bad for the kid or something? I’ll tell you now, George, there’s plenty of places to send kids like him.”

Henry’s voice carried through the room and John shot up from his seat. “Leave Alex  _ alone _ , Dad.”

“I’ll ask you one time to leave the Mulligans  _ and _ Alexander out of this,” George said, taking the anger building in his chest and forcing it down his throat. Now wasn’t the time. “You’re getting angry for no reason, so why don’t you calm down and we can resolve this peacefully.”

“There’s nothing to fix. Tell John to get home, we’re done here.” There was a bang. “ _ Now _ .” A click and Henry had hung up, leaving the line oddly silent, with nothing but a faint buzzing to fill the air.

“You don’t have to leave, John. We can figure something out and contact your father later when he’s calmed down, if you like.” George said, passing the phone back.

Eyes dark, John shook his head. “I’ll be fine..Sorry about my dad.” He stood and gathered his bag.

An eerie quiet followed the three, Alex had decided sometime during the call that he was coming along, as they filed out to the car.  Alex and John clambered into the backseat as George stuck the key in the ignition. The door slammed and he backed out. The Laurens’ house wasn’t far from the Washington’s, really, it was within walking distance. But to get there, they had to go through a small patch of woods, there had been problems of strangers wandering through the area before, so George tended to drive John home whenever he could. Especially after last night.

In the back, John was showing Alexander something on his phone, both trying to forget anything had happened. George frowned, Alex didn’t have any way to contact them yet, he’d have to take care of that. He was sure Lafayette still had his old one, that would do for the time being.

They passed through the small grove, really, it wasn’t even large enough to be considered a set of woods. The car was dipped in shadows, putting George even more on edge. He kept expecting their new stalker to materialize from the darkness and leap at the car.

However, no one appeared, and, soon enough, they were through and had arrived at the Laurens’ home. The ride was all too short.

Henry wasn’t waiting when they pulled up. He was waiting inside, most likely. George could practically see it; hi eyes dark and arms folded across his chest, his face long since having gone a boiling red.

In the back, he heard John mumble a thanks and hop out.

“John,” George said, catching his arm as he passed. “If Henry does  _ anything _ , call me. I can be here in minutes.”

“I know, thank you, sir.” John ducked his head as he hurried away.

He only pulled away once he saw John disappear inside the house. George slowed slightly as he spotted Alexander glancing worriedly back toward John’s home.

“Alexander?” Alex turned back and tugged at his seatbelt, which had become twisted somewhere along the way. “John will be fine, don’t worry.”

There was a click, and suddenly Alex was tumbling into the passenger’s seat. He fell into the front and quickly righted himself.  “Why was Mr. Laurens so angry?”

“Seatbelt,” he directed.

“Right, sorry.” Alex turned and fastened the buckle.

“Henry, Mr. Laurens, has his own problems to deal with,” he tried to explain. “He and John have always had their differences, but after Eleanor’s death, things got worse.”   
“Eleanor, John’s mother, right?” Alex asked, looking over at George curiously.

“Exactly and after she died, Henry grew more distant. I try not to eavesdrop on you boys, but I’ve heard John mention his father. I know life isn’t great at his house right now.”

“Then why’d you let him leave,” Alex said angrily. His eyes widened, “sorry, sir. I didn’t-”

“You’re all right, Alexander, you have a point. I didn’t want to. But, for now, the best way to help is to keep out. We don’t want to make Henry angry again.”

“I-I,” Alex frowned. “I disagree. We need to  _ do _ something before John gets hurt.”

“And we will. But nothing’s happened, there’s not much we can do as of now.”

“But we can’t  _ leave _ him there.”

“Alexander,” he said quietly. “I promise you, I am doing what I can. But for right now, John is safe. As...Unpleasant as Henry can be, he would never hurt his son.”

Alexander glanced at George skeptically, “you’re sure?”

_ No,  _ he wanted to say. He wasn’t sure, not anymore. But Alex didn’t need to know that, no need in worrying him further.

So he lied and found it came easier than he would’ve liked. “I’m sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I completely rewrote the second half of this chapter last night because I realized it had a major problem that would mess things up later in the story. So, I apologize if this was a little...Patchy. I did my best. Enjoy!


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Angelica Gets A Dress; Eliza Looks In The Trash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza spends the day with her sisters.

Eliza had always loved summer in the city.

It was one of the few times these days she was able to spend time with her sisters without having to worry about when Angelica had to get to work or Peggy had to get to whatever club she had that particular day.

It was just _peaceful_. The three could spend the day doing as they pleased, going wherever they wished, their only limit being to get home before dark. They were closest in the summer, during the school year, they each had their own commitments, usually leaving little to no time for anything else. Angelica was on the school newspaper staff, Peggy was in about every club she could find, and Eliza spent most days just trying to ignore the other jerks that went there.

But when it got warm and school was out, none of that mattered, there were no pressing stories due, no meetings to attend, and no bullies to attempt to ignore. It was Eliza and her sisters.

“Eliza, you coming?” Eliza looked up, she and her sisters had decided to spend the day looking through the shops, Angelica had to tour colleges next week and insisted on spending time with them before she and their mother left for the week.

“Yeah, right behind you, Ange.”

“Are we almost done? My feet are killing me,” Peggy whined, rubbing her foot as she leaned against the window looking in on a small book store.

“Well, maybe if you spent less time on the computer and more time walking with Eliza and I, you wouldn’t have this problem.”

Peggy scrunched her nose, “I come out with you guys _all_ the time. It’s not my fault running a blog takes so much time.”

“Guys,” she interrupted. “Be nice, I’m not walking with you two if you’re going to spend the entire time arguing.”

“Oh, we’re not arguing, right Peggy? It’s just some friendly banter.”

“Right,” Peggy agreed, looking none like she meant it. “So, where to next?”

“I was thinking we could head to get something to eat. Then, we can get me,” Angelic pointed both thumbs toward herself, “a new dress for my interview.”

“Don’t you already have something to wear?”

“Well, I did, but remember when we were at ball thing with Mom awhile back?

“You mean the one where we snuck off and had that nugget eating contest? What about it?”

“Yeah, well, I spilled Barbeque sauce on my dress and the stain won’t come out.”

“Hush,” Peggy said, rolling her eyes.

“Plus, I figured you’d want to find something new for your first day.”

“I already have my outfit picked out!”

“Come on, Pegs, let me help out.” Angelica pleaded. “I did with Eliza and I won’t be here next year.” she batted her eyes.

Peggy groaned. “Fine, but only because you promised food beforehand.”

“Now that that’s settled, can we get going? You seem to forget we need to be back before dark.” Eliza told them, leading the way across the street.

Behind her, Eliza could hear her sisters laugh as they hurried to catch up.

 

* * *

 

“I don’t know ‘Liza, this one makes me look too much like Mom.”

Eliza glanced up from her phone, Peggy had left nearly ten minutes ago, saying she didn’t have the patience to wait while Angelica sifted through the racks for a new dress. Meaning Eliza was left alone to help her older sister pick one out.

“You look fine. Are you almost ready?”

“Someone’s ready to go, really, you sound like Peggy. But, I’m not sure, this one is a little too loose.”

She wasn’t wrong, the dress Angelica wore now made her look astoundingly similar to their mother, the only difference being the springy curls that exploded from her sister’s head. The black and white dress fell loosely around Angelica, to the point where Eliza wondered if she had gotten the right size.

“What about that first one you tried, that looked pretty nice.”

“This one?” She pulled a simple black dress from the small pile in the corner of the dressing room. “Maybe, definitely better than this thing.”

Eliza glanced back down at her phone as Angelica pulled the next outfit, the one she had pointed out.

“So,” curly hair appeared through the neckline. “What’s so important that’s got _you_ of all people glued to her phone?” A head appeared.

“Ah, nothing.” Eliza shoved her phone in her pocket.

“Sure, now was is it really? Zip me?” Angelica turned and motioned to the zipper at her back.

The phone suddenly felt heavier against her leg. “Really, it was nothing. Just an article.”  
“An article about…?”

She pulled the zipper, careful not to catch her sister’s hair. “About Daddy,” she muttered.

Angelica’s shoulders slumped, “again? I thought you’d stopped that, you know it’s all fake, right? The press only sees what it wants to. They know nothing about what’s _actually_ happening.”

“Yeah, well, clueless as they may be...Those stories are still spreading and some of them are honestly ridiculous.”

Ever since the drama with her father and George King had started up, Eliza had taken to reading any and all she could find on the internet about what the media believed to be happening. So far she’d seen reporters accuse her father of embezzlement, fraudery, and had called him about every name in the book.

The story she had just been reading had even accused Phillip Schuyler of having an affair with King and their break-up being the reason for their recent disputes. Others, however, were a little _too_ close to the truth, and while she appreciated seeing some media outlets on her family’s side, there were hardly enough to improve matters

For a while, Angelica had been able to pull Eliza away from the reports, convincing her they weren’t important, they knew the truth, so what else mattered? But then some kid from school had sent her a link to a new one and Eliza had found herself sucked in as quickly as she had the first time. She still wasn’t sure how that kid had gotten her number.

“Exactly, that’s why they’re published. It makes our dad look like an idiot and gives people something to feed off of. They’re literally _made_ to make our family look like a pack of fools. Those people know nothing of what’s really happening, so didn’t pay them any mind.”

“But it’s _everywhere_ ,” Eliza said, watching her sister smooth down the dress. This one fit much better, hugging her body and giving it real shape in place of the lump the other had been. “How am I supposed to ignore it?”

“Simple: Don’t look for it. Find other things to occupy yourself with, it’s not as hard as you might think.” Angelica turned and threw her hands out. “How do I look?”

She smiled, “you look amazing, Ange. You should get it.”

“You only want to get out of here,” Angelica laughed. “You know, if it helps any, I heard a rumor about that Jefferson kid - the one that always gave you and Alex trouble? - apparently he’s switching schools.”

Eliza blinked, astonished, Thomas Jefferson had been taunting her and Alex for years, constantly ragging on Alex for where he came from, his history, or anything else he could find. Then he’d move on to Eliza, always loving to point out whatever story happened to be circulating about her family that week. It used to be that Alex was able to defend them both, but then the accident happened and, well...Alex clammed up.

“ _Really_?”

“Yep! He’s moving, from what I’ve heard. Who knows, maybe with him gone, the other kids will cut it out too.” Angelica slipped off the dress, seemingly set on buying it, and pulled back on her jeans and a maroon T-shirt.

“Or, they’ll turn out to be a Hydra. Cut the head off and three more appear and all that,” she muttered.

“Try to think positive, remember what Mom says? Don’t hope for a change you didn’t initiate. This is your chance to make things better for yourself, so start this year off right. Show those kids you aren’t going to take it anymore.”

“Easy for you to say, they don’t bother _you_.”

She hung the dress over her shoulder and gathered the others in her arm. Eliza pulled the door open. “And why do you think that is, ‘Liza?”

“Because you scare people?”

Angelica frowned, “well, yes, some people. But _also_ because I don’t let them.” She dropped the other dresses at the counter to be put away later. “Look, Eliza, I’m not going to be there next year and someone’s going to need to look out for Peggy ...That’s going to be _your_ job.”

Eliza paused and frowned, “wait, what?”

“You and I both know how Pegs can be, she’s going to need you, Eliza. I mean, the girl thought High School Musical was an accurate representation of high school.”

“...That’s true,” she said, following Angelica as she wove through the aisles, in search of Peggy.

“It is and how much help do you think you’ll be if you can’t stand up to a couple teenage idiots?”

“Not enough.”

“Exactly,” she said. They spotted Peggy browsing the small magazine rack near the entrance. “I know you can do it, so try, all right? For me?”

She sighed, “okay, okay, I’ll do my best.”

“That’s the Schuyler attitude. Hey, Peggy, you ready to get out of here?”

 

* * *

 

When they arrived home - well, to Aunt Cassidy’s - the apartment was empty. On the kitchen counter was a note, _‘be back soon, start dinner without me. -Cassidy’_. On most nights, Eliza’s aunt had to work late, she said it was because the office was short staffed at the moment, but Eliza had more than one phone call to her father and knew it wasn’t easy for her aunt to suddenly be caring for three girls.

Angelica left her and Peggy to start while she put her new outfit away, most likely safely tucked away in her suitcase.

“What’re we even making?” Peggy asked, digging through the icebox.

Eliza shrugged, “whatever there is, I guess. Seems like we have ingredients to make spaghetti, that good with you?”

“Sure, you boil the noodles and I’ll put some bread in the oven.”

From the cupboard, Eliza pulled a box of pasta and several cans of tomato sauce. She filled a pot with water and set it on the stove to boil.

“Have you heard from Alex lately?” Peggy asked, tearing open a box.

“He’s called a few times, but you know how Aunt Cassidy gets about us using our phones too often.”

Peggy snorted and placed the bread on a tray. “Don’t I, seriously, she’s so worried we’ll get addicted, little does she realize: I’m already _long_ past that point.”

“Oh, I know. I can hear you roving Tumblr until at _least_ midnight most nights.”

“Like you haven’t done the same.” Peggy slid the tray into the oven. “Your water is boiling.”

“Shoot,” Eliza snagged the noodles from the dining table and ripped them open, dumping them into the pot just as the water began to bubble over.

“What’s taking Angelica so long?”

“I’m right here, Pegs; I had to find space in my bag. What did you guys decide on making?” Angelica strode into the kitchen, peering over the stove. “Spaghetti, I’m guessing?”

Eliza stirred the pot, “it was all we had.”

“Works for me, just so long as _someone_ remembers to take the bread out of the oven this time.” Angelica sent a pointed glare Peggy’s way.

Peggy, in turn, returned the glare and stuck out her tongue. “At least _I_ drained the water before putting the sauce in.”

“Peggy, we had to evacuate the building because of you.” Angelica said.

“It was one time!”

“Guys,” Eliza said and felt a strange sense of Deja Vu. “Cut it out and set the table, would you?”

They groaned in unison, “whatever.”

Laughing, she made her way back to the stove and lifted the pot to drain the water. Suddenly, Eliza paused, there was something in the trashcan.

“Hey, guys, what’s this?” Eliza reached inside and retrieved a single piece of crisp, white paper, now slightly stained with a splotch of this morning’s coffee.

“It looks like a letter.” Said Angelica, looking over her shoulder. “Who’s it addressed to?”

Her eyes darted around the page and she felt her heart sink, “it’s to Daddy. From George King, Aunt Cassidy must’ve found it when she was cleaning out the guest bedroom.”

Peggy came over as well, skimming it quickly. “Oh God,” she said after a moment. “So, _that’s_ why we’ve been spending so much time here, King has been making threats, not just to the stupid company anymore, to _us_. Daddy wanted us out of the way, he wanted us somewhere King didn’t know about.”

“Now, Peggy,” Angelica said, her voice calm and sharp. “Calm down, we don’t know that for sure.”

“Really, Ange? I think King made himself pretty clear.” She snatched the letter from Eliza’s hands and read a passage aloud. “ _‘And it would be with the deepest regret to hear of any unfortunate incedents befalling your eldest daughters, but I fear their safety, living in such a busy city.’_ Sounds pretty ominous, if you ask me.”

“Okay,” Eliza stepped in. “So maybe that’s what he’s implying, but nothing’s happened yet, so we shouldn’t worry. What’s date on the letter, maybe it’s old, maybe King...Forgot about it.”

“Oh, yeah, because it’s _so_ easy to forget these things. You know, just making _casual_ death threats, so forgettable.” Angelica crossed her arms and searched for a date. “June first, that was nearly two months ago.”

“But we’ve been staying over here way longer than that. So why have us come here when there wasn’t any problem a few months ago?” Peggy asked. From the stove, the pot began to sizzle from being left on the burner too long.

“ _No_ ,” Eliza rushed toward the pot, turning down the heat before moving to the sink. She poured the water from the pot and took a can of sauce from the table. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Angelica asked, pulling the bread from the oven. Good, it seemed both she and Peggy had forgotten it.

“Unless this isn’t the first one he’s received.”

“You think there’s been more?” Peggy’s eyes were wide with fear now, repeatedly glancing from the door to the window to Eliza before starting the cycle over again. Eliza wondered if what had happened to Alex had crossed Peggy’s mind, it had certainly crossed her's.

“It’s okay, Peggy. We’re all okay, no one is going to hurt us, not now, not ever. Got it?”

There was a beat of silence.

“Got it?”

“G-got it.”

Angelica clapped her hands together, making Eliza jump. “Great, now I’ll take that,” she snatched the paper from her sister, “and see what I can find out later. In the meantime, let’s eat. We actually managed to not screw up dinner for once. I say we enjoy it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was a beast to get up, I swear. Originally I didn't even plan on putting this chapter in, but I felt like the plot moved a bit to quickly so put it in to slow things a bit. Plus, who doesn't love the sisters? I'm actually pretty proud of this, I wrote it over the course of yesterday with a broken spell-check, so I apologize for any typos, but hopefully you enjoy!  
> Oh, but I was going to say, I've realized that I'm coming up to about the half way (or maybe a third? I'm not sure yet) through this story. It won't be until chapter sixteen or so. But I just thought I'd mention it because I'll probably take a week or so at that point to get ahead on the next half of the story. I'll mention it again when we get there, but I just thought I'd let you know!


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Alex Gets A Letter; The Stranger Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Lafayette bond, unfortunately, it isn't under the best of circumstances…

Alex woke to early morning sunlight filtering in and bathing the bedroom in its glow. The house always seemed so much safer in the daytime, like nothing would even dream of trying to hurt him. He prefered it like this over the nighttime, when the place became dark and Alex felt danger lurked at every turn. 

Alex swung his legs over the side of the bed and left the room. He trudged tiredly down the hall and into the kitchen, where Lafayette and Martha were already up and discussing Martha’s garden. 

“But Mama, why would you take out the lavender? It is lovely!” Lafayette was arguing as he twirled a spoon around in a bowl of half eaten cereal. 

“It’s wilting, dear. I just can’t seem to revive the poor guys, oh, good morning Alexander.” 

“Good morning,” he said as Martha pressed a bowl of oatmeal into his hands. Alex had never been a very hungry person in the mornings (or ever, really), but Martha always insisted he eat something anyway ( _ it’s the most important meal of the day and you’re much too skinny for your age, now eat _ ). She meant well, so he tried to eat what he could before slipping the rest to Lafayette, who wished he’d eat a little more too, but helped anyway.

Martha frowned as she took her place at the table, “you boys both look so tired. Is everything all right?”

Alex looked over at Lafayette, his eyes were red and drooping just slightly, apparently Alex wasn’t the only one staying up lately.

“We were up late,” Alex said. Not a total lie, but not quite the truth either. He took a bite of oatmeal in the hopes of appearing calmer than he really was.

Martha glanced between them suspiciously, “all right. Try to get some more sleep, though. School’s starting soon and I don’t want you two falling asleep in class.”

“Yes, Mama. We will be sure to go to bed early tonight.”

“I know you will.” Martha paused and stood. “I almost forgot, this came for you, Alexander.” 

She passed him a thin envelope with his name in neat, curly writing across the front.

“Eliza!” He took the letter excitedly, resisting the urge to tear it open too quickly. 

Curious, Lafayette leaned in, resting his chin on Alex’s shoulder. “What does it say?”

“Dear, let Alex read it. If he wants to share, he will,” Martha scolded.

“It’s fine, he can read it. I don’t mind.” Alex pulled the paper out and saw that the writing covered both sides, along with things like _ , Angelica, worried, and Peggy. _ Even before he read it, Alex could already feel the worry that must have enveloped Eliza as she wrote it. 

Martha laughed and shook her head. “I’ll leave you to it then, if you boys need me, I’ll be in the yard, trying to bring back those poor flowers, this heat has been brutal on them, I’m not sure they’ll make it through the week.” She left the room and soon, Alex heard the front door swing shut. 

“What does it say?” Lafayette asked. 

He skimmed over the first few lines and folded it again. “Let’s go to my room first, this seems kinda personal.”

_ “Alexander, how are you doing? I’m afraid I have to keep this brief, but I thought I would send you an update of all that’s happening here. You’ll be glad to know Peggy is ready to start high school, it’s all she’s been talking about lately, Angelica and I can’t wait to see her face when she realizes it’s nothing like the movies. Speaking of Angelica, she’s already started looking into colleges. She’s been thinking of going somewhere out of state. Angelica says it’s because she wants to get used to living on her own, but Peggy and I think it’s because mom hasn’t left her alone for weeks now, ‘my baby is growing up!’ It’s driving her up the wall.  _

_Daddy has been worried too, he’s been spending more time at work and we’ve been spending more and more nights at Aunt Cassidy’s. I’m scared, Alex. I found a letter in the trash yesterday. It was from King. It’s almost funny, for someone so involved in the law, he doesn’t seem to care much for following it. He’s been making threats, not just toward the company anymore, but to us as well. King was saying he would come after Peggy, Angelica, and I if Daddy isn’t careful._ _He mentioned moving down where you are, Alex. He’s talking about it like he wants to go somewhere more peaceful, but I know it’s a lie. I just wish there was something I could do..._

_ I hope things are going well with the Washingtons (hi Lafayette!), if not, Angelica says we can be there in a half hour. The buzz around your old apartment has died down, I hope that means  you’ve gotten news about the killer. _

_ You’ll have to tell me everything soon, you’ve only been gone a month but it feels like I haven’t seen you in years. Angelica and Peggy were so upset to have missed you last week. Last I checked, Peggy was trying to convince Angelica to come visit you, so who knows? Maybe by the time you get this, the three of us will be on your front step? Oh! And have you talked to John like I suggested? How did it go? _ ” 

Alex dropped the letter on his bed and leaned back. It went on for a while longer, but it didn’t seem like anything important for right now. 

Lafayette had peered over his shoulder the entire time as Alex read it aloud.

“Do you think they will come to visit?” he asked, as he fell back to join Alex.

“Probably, Peggy can be pretty persistent, I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up by the end of the week.”

“It seems that we will get along very well, then.” 

He laughed slightly, “I’m sure you will.” Alex let the letter flutter to ground, his arm hanging from the side of the mattress. “I hope they’re okay, I just wish I could talk to Eliza right now. It drives me nuts not knowing what’s going on.”

“Have you tried calling them?”  

“A few times, but we can’t talk long, their aunt has this weird grudge against technology, it’s part of the reason we started writing letters in the first place.”

“Really?” 

He grinned, “Eliza and I used to go to the same school and we’d leave notes in each other’s lockers between classes, then we started doing the same thing at home. We even got Angelica in on it a few times.”

“You two are very close, yes?”

“Definitely,” Alex said.

“I see..” Lafayette trailed off, lost in thought. “Perhaps I can help. I must speak with Papa later.”

“About what?”

“Nothing, only an idea.”

“Your ideas always end badly, Laf.” 

“You have known me hardly a month, how would you know this?” 

“A week after we met, you fell off a chair trying to get to cupcakes off the top of the icebox.” 

“Not  _ all  _ my plans end that way.”

“You nearly broke the window.”

“This one will be good, you will see.”

They were quiet a moment. “What did Eliza want you to speak to John about?” Lafayette asked. 

Alex felt himself go red, just slightly. Though he wasn’t sure why, it wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about. “Nothing important, she just wanted me to...Open up about some stuff.”

“It went well, I hope?”

“Yeah, I think it did.”

Later, after Lafayette had gone to watch a movie with Martha, Alex was left alone to attempt writing back to Eliza. So far, he had three different starts, none of which were up to par with his usually work. He usually never had trouble writing, especially if it was to Eliza. But tonight, Alex’s mind decided it’d rather wander, anything from school in a few weeks to John, stuck, alone, with Henry, to Nathaniel. Especially Nathaniel.

He kept going back to the letter. Things had died down around the apartment, but what  _ did _ that mean? Were the police giving up? Was there nothing left to find?

Alex sighed and dropped his pen, letting it clatter against the desk. He obviously wasn’t getting anywhere right now and no amount of staring at blank paper was going to change that. Alex pushed away from the desk and walked about the room. He’d managed to get about a paragraph written, talking about how he wished he could help with King. But nothing else would come to mind, no matter how much he had to say.

If the police were done looking for the killer, what did that mean for Alex? If the police gave up, what if the killer took the chance to finally come after him and finish what he started? He’d have much less to worry about, everyone would have let their guard down, so it would be that much easier to find him.

He took a breath, there was nothing to say for sure that that was what was happening. Just because Eliza had seen a  _ few _ less people going into the apartment meant nothing. Maybe there just wasn’t anything left to use there and they had no need to go there anymore.

_ Or _ , his mind whispered,  _ they were giving up. _ And why wouldn’t they? Nathaniel hadn’t been that good a guy anyway. Maybe the police had seen his records and decided he wasn’t worth it, who cared they left some kid out in the wind in the process. Maybe they’d found out about the crash, found out that it had been Alex’s fault and figured he deserved whatever happened. But if they knew about the crash, then surely they knew that Alex had tried to help, had called for an ambulance the first chance he got. It wasn’t  _ his fault _ that woman died. He’d helped the other passenger, he’d seen it in the paper, the woman died but the boy had lived. That had to count for something. Right?

“Alexander?” 

Alex yelped as he noticed Washington in the doorway. 

“Yes, sir?”

“I needed to talk to you a moment, if you aren’t busy.” Washington said, turning something dark between his fingers.

“Oh,” Alex glanced to the half-written letter. “No, I’m not.” 

“Good, can I come in?”

Alex nodded and slid a book over his writing, that was for Eliza’s eyes only. Washington entered, not bothering to sit.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all. But I was talking to Lafayette and we both agreed you might like to have this.” He tossed Alex what he’d been holding. “This way you can keep in contact with your friends easier and don’t have to wait as long to hear from them.”

Alex realized he was holding a phone. Granted, it was an older model and the screen had a small crack in the corner, but it was a phone none the less. The last one he’d had had been one of those old flip phones, the kind he couldn’t do more than call Eliza on. He’d lost it at school months ago. This one, however, was black and about the size of his hand. Much better than his old one. 

There was no way he could keep it and he told Washington as such.

“I  _ want  _ you to, Alexander. Lafayette mentioned you’d been having trouble contacting your old friends and he offered to give you his old one for the time being.” So  _ that _ had been his idea earlier. 

“I-thank you. You really didn’t have to,” he said, casting it between his hands.

“Don’t worry about it, just remember to use it to contact me or Martha if anything ever happens.”  _ You mean if the killer comes back , _ he thought,  _ just like he did the other night _ .

“I will,” Alex promised, sliding the phone into his pocket. 

Washington, finally, stopped moving and looked to Alex. “I’ll see you in the morning, then. If you have any questions on how to work it, let me or Lafayette know. Preferably Lafayette, though, I’m not the best when it comes to technology.” He laughed. 

“I think I can figure it out.”

“I’m sure you can, you’re a smart kid.” Washington turned to leave. “Oh, and you can call me George, you know. I’ve said it before, but you’re part of the family now, there’s no need to be so formal.”

“Okay.” Alex hesitated a moment, then: “wait,” he cried, before he could stop himself.

Washington paused, hand hovering over the doorknob. “Yes?”

“I-uh,” Alex stumbled over his words, the way he always seemed to when he had to speak to Washington too long. 

“Is everything all right?” 

“Yes, I-I wanted to know if,” his voice got quieter, “If you know what’s happening with Nathaniel’s - with  _ my _ \- case. If they’ve found anything new?”

An emotion Alex didn’t recognize - regret; concern, maybe? - flickered across Washington’s face. “It hasn’t been looking good, Alexander. I spoke with Chief Lee a few days ago; he told me there wasn’t much left to examine at your apartment. The culprit, despite the mess he made, was careful not to leave any evidence. Lee thinks whoever did it is long gone by now...He was thinking of closing the investigation.”

If he expected Alex to be surprised, Washington didn’t show it. “I’m sorry, Alexander, I’m trying to convince him otherwise, but Lee is stubborn man.”

Alex stared sullenly at the floor, “it’s okay. I didn’t expect much much to happen.”  _ Nothing good ever does _ .

“I’ll try my best to convince Lee,” Washington offered.   
“Thanks,” he said absently. 

“Would you like some time alone, now?”

Alex nodded and watched Washington leave the room, waiting until he was gone to drop into a chair. He’d known what the answer would be, he shouldn’t be so disappointed. But, knowing what he did, he couldn’t help it. The killer was out there and he was waiting. 

Alex slumped against his desk and peered out the window.

This time, there was no one out there.

It had been nearly two days since he and John had seen him and Alex could still feel the

stranger’s eyes on him. Watching his window, seeming to get closer every time Alex blinked. All he could see was his eyes. Somewhere along the way, the stranger had taken on the eyes of Nathaniel’s killer. They were the most prominent memory Alex had of that night, dark and angry things filled with murderous intent. They’d bored into Alex as he’d been pinned to the kitchen floor and they did the same now. 

Alex wasn’t sure how he knew, but it had been the same man from that night. He’d found Alex and now he was beyond angry and looking for revenge. 

In the nights since John had left, Alex had taken to guarding his window at nights, keeping the blinds tightly drawn and peering out every so often to see if anyone ever appeared. But no one ever did.

Instead, the most violent thing he saw was two squirrels fighting over an acorn in the driveway.  Alex wasn’t going to get anywhere like this, he was losing more sleep than usual and he was very tempted to hang a blanket over the window. But he figured that would raise suspicions and he and John had agreed that night not to tell anyone but Lafayette and Hercules what they had seen. None of them wanted to worry the Washingtons and stalkers in the windows would certainly be reason for worry. 

Alex left his perch by the window and fell into bed. If no one had come by now, then there was no point in staying up, whoever it was wouldn’t be coming tonight. Another night, perhaps. Or never, he’d be all right with that too. 

He crawled beneath the covers and curled up. Somehow, he managed to push aside his worry and slept. 

“Alexander, wake up,  _ mon ami _ .”

Alex woke to darkness and a tall figure leaning over him. “Laf?” He mumbled. “What’re you doing in here?” 

Lafayette pressed a finger to his lips and ushered Alex from the bed. He spoke in a harsh, panicked whisper. “ _ I saw him, Alexander, I saw him outside. _ ”

“Who? What’s going on?”

“Get your shoes on, we must hurry.”

“Hurry where? Laf, slow down a second. What’s wrong?” 

Lafayette looked to him, face flushed and worried. He took Alex’s shoes and tossed them on the bed before finally slowing down. He sank against the mattress, panting from rushing about. 

“The man, the one you and John saw. I saw him outside.”

Alex’s fingers froze over his laces. He looked up at Lafayette. “Tonight? When?”

“Just now, he was outside my window. I do not know what he wanted, but he did not appear to want inside.”

Of course, the one time he didn’t watch out. “So what’re we doing?”

“Following him.” 

“Wha-Laf, are you sure about this?”

He shook his head, “no. But is it not better to act than to hide? What if he comes back and tries to come inside?”

“Laf, I’m with you, okay? I just think we need to be careful.” Alex peered out the window, but saw nothing. “Where was he?” 

“He was passing by, I saw him look into my bedroom. I believe he was looking for something, but I do not know what.”

_ Me _ , he wanted to say.  _ He was looking for me. _

“Come, we must hurry, before he is gone.”

Lafayette darted out the door, leaving Alex no choice but to follow. He couldn’t leave him to do this alone. So, Alex chased Lafayette down the hall and out the front door, into the dead of night. He hadn’t had the chance to check the clock, but he figured it was around one in the morning, dew was still settling on the grass and the moon was beginning to sink in the sky.

“He went this way,” Lafayette told him, leading the way behind the house.  

He hadn’t spent much time back there, but from what Alex had seen so far, the backyard was messy and quickly gave way to woods. He knew Lafayette and Hercules often spent time there, doing...Whatever it was they did when he and John weren’t around. 

They paused at the corner, pressing close to one another as they peered into the backyard. 

“ _ Where did he go? _ ” Lafayette whispered.

Alex scanned the trees, if  _ he _ were trying to stay hidden from a couple of nosy teenagers, he’d head for the trees. But, either it was too dark to see him, or he wasn’t there. 

“ _ Maybe he heard us coming and ran, _ ” he suggested. 

“ _ Perhaps, but why was he here in the first place? _ ”

“ _ We should get a closer look _ .”    
Lafayette nodded and, together, they crept forward, careful to avoid stray twigs in their path. Alex looked from side to side, as if the stranger was going to drop from the branches. Why couldn’t his life go right, for once? Why couldn’t he be happy for a little while? He bet other kids didn’t have to deal with murderous stalkers.

There was a crack, then Lafayette’s hand at his elbow, pulling him back until they were pressed against the wall. 

A shape came into view, head swinging left and right as it looked for him and Lafayette, Alex assumed. His back pressed into the siding. The man hadn’t yet seen them, that meant they still had time to get out without getting spotted. Alex felt along the wall until his hand found Lafayette’s. He tugged it gently and looked up toward him, their eyes locked and Lafayette nodded solemnly. 

Alex began to lead the way, pulling Lafayette behind him. It felt like a deadly game of Hide and Seek as they hid amongst the shadows, they only had to get a little further, then they could get come up with a plan, they could call John or Hercules or  _ someone _ and work from there. For now though, all Alex could think of was getting Lafayette away from the mess  _ he’d _ caused. 

Because why else would this man be here? It was him, Alex knew it. And now he was here. Here for Alex, here to finish what he hadn’t been able to the first time around. Alex almost wished he had, at least then the Washingtons wouldn’t have to deal with some freak stalking their windows in the dead of night and putting their only son in danger.

_ No _ , all he needed to focus on right now was getting Lafayette out of here before either of them were spotted. He could deal with everything else later.

They’d almost made it - Alex could see Washington’s car, still parked in the driveway - but there must have been a root sticking out from the ground or maybe the hose had been left out. Whatever it was Alex suddenly felt himself flying forward and a heavy weight landing on top of him. 

His first instinct was to start squirming, to twist away from whatever had him pinned there. Where had Lafayette gone? Was he still standing? Had he run off? No, Lafayette wouldn’t have done that, he was too loyal to leave someone behind. Alex would’ve heard him anyway. So where was he?

“ _ Alexander, be still, please.” _ Oh, that’s where he was. He did as instructed and felt the weight lift from his back. A hand pulled him up and soon Alex was back on his feet. 

He’d almost believed they had gone unnoticed when the shouting started. Whoever it was, had realized they were there and looked about angrily. 

“Who’s out here?” He demanded and Alex froze for a moment, it sounded so familiar. It sounded like-- “I said,  _ who’s out there? _ ” The voice demanded. “...I own this property, you’ve got no business out here.”

“ _ That is  _ not _ Papa, _ ” Lafayette whispered angrily.  

“ _ We need to go.  _ Now _. _ ” He took Lafayette by the arm and began to lead him away. They needed to get  _ out _ . If they were caught, who knew what would happen, all Alex knew was what had happened last time he’d been near this man. 

“You brats!” He called, sounding much closer than before. “Come back here!”

“ _ Run _ ,” they said together. Alex and Lafayette took off around the corner, stumbling through the grass, each pulling the other up if they fell.   

They had nearly made it back to the front door, when he finally caught up. He’d been reaching for Lafayette, aiming to pull him back by the elbow. But Alex’s body took control and suddenly Lafayette was in front of him and Alex was on the ground, once more. But Alex found he didn’t care, he wouldn’t let anyone else meet the same fate Nathaniel had, especially not Lafayette. So he’d do what he could to stop it.

The man appeared, face cast in shadows as he loomed over Alex. His eyes gleamed just like they did that night. Dark and dangerous as ever. Hands reached for Alex as he tried to twist away, easily circling his neck and squeezing so hard Alex thought he would snap in two. 

Again, Alex wondered where Lafayette had gone, he couldn’t hear him. Maybe he’d decided Alex wasn’t worth it and had run, he wouldn’t blame him. It was Alex’s fault this was happening in the first place.   

Alex kicked at the man and landed a blow to his stomach. He made to scramble away, pushing himself from the ground and toward the porch, but a hand wrapped around his ankle and yanked him back, sending Alex crashing into the steps. He let out a ragged breath, neck aching.

“Let go of my brother!” Someone cried, attempting to pull Alex away from the man. Brother? But he hadn’t heard from James in years, so who-- His thoughts left him as something sail through the air and shattered against the side of the man’s head. He fell away, releasing Alex’s ankle, now clutching his cheek. 

“Alexander, hurry. We must find Mama and Papa!” 

So Lafayette hadn’t left after all. He’d been trying to help the entire time. 

Panting, Alex scrambled to his feet and dove inside. He heard the door slam shut and a click as Lafayette locked it. 

“Are you okay?” Alex asked, voice hoarse as he rubbed his throat. The memory of hands wrapped round it still too fresh. 

“ _ Oui, _ and you?” He saw Lafayette peer out the window.

“I’ll be fine, is he still out there?”

“ _ Non _ , he has fled, the coward.” He stepped away from the door, as though expecting the man to reappear and make a grab for him. “We should wake Mama and Papa, they must know of this.”

Without waiting for a response, Lafayette began to march down the hallway, again, leaving Alex no choice but to follow. 

They arrived quickly, finding that the lights in their bedroom had been flicked on. Shuffling could be heard through the wall. Together, he and Lafayette pounded on the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter yet, how cool is that? Oh! Really quickly, I need a high school name for later on and would really appreciate some suggestions. As when I asked for help on the title of this book, I'll credit if I use yours, but I could seriously use the help. So if you have any ideas, please let me know!  
> And another thing, can I just say thank you? Like, seriously. Everyone on this site is so friendly and every time someone comments it's always something really nice/encouraging. So yeah, thank you so much for commenting and reading this, it's honestly so amazing to get online and see stuff from everybody and every time I see a comment I just dissolve into this giggling mess for a little while and it helps me when I go to work on the next chapter. Thank you so much!  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you on Monday!


	15. Chapter Fifteen: George Searches; Lafayette Texts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their close encounter outside, Alex and Lafayette try to explain what happened to George and Martha.

The door swung open to reveal an exhausted Washington staring down at them. Confusion was clear across his features as he secured the belt of his bathrobe tightly around his waist.  

“Boys? What’s going on?

“Was that you we heard just now?” Martha appeared at her husband’s side, looking worriedly over his shoulder.

Beside him, Alex nodded, glancing down the hallway like he expected the stranger to reappear. Not that Lafayette didn’t feel the same.

“Papa,” he said. “There was someone outside. He attacked us.”

“ _What?_ ” Washington demanded, pushing himself into the hall and marching toward the front door. Lafayette, Alex, and Martha hurried after him.

“What were you two doing outside in the first place?” Martha asked when they’d come to a stop.

“We saw something out there and decided to investigate.” Alex said, glancing to Lafayette. And just like that they were sharing the blame, he appreciated that.

Martha frowned, “I should post a guard outside your doors at night.”

Washington looked through the window before coming back over. “I don’t see anyone now, I’ll go look in a moment, but they’re probably long gone. Are you two okay? You said he attacked.”

“I am fine, Papa, Alexander helped me.”

Martha turned to Alex, “thank you, dear. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“I’ll be okay,” the lights flicked on, revealing a ring of reddish bruises around his neck. His parent’s gathered in the sight of them, dismay filling their gazes. Silence fell across the room, Martha’s eyes widened and Washington barely suppressed a gasp. In the light, he and Alex looked so much worse than he had originally thought, with scrapes along their knees and dirt coating their arms. The hem of Lafayette’s shirt had been torn.

Finally, Lafayette spoke up. “ _Mon ami_ , we should get, ah, fixed up.”

Washington seemed to snap from his stupor at that. “Yes, we should get you two cleaned up, I’m going to take a look around outside, Martha, could you help them?”

“Let’s go, be careful, George. If you’re not back in ten minutes, I’m coming out after you.”

“I’ll be as quick as I can. I just want to make sure they’re gone.” Washington’s face was grim as he took up an abandoned baseball bat from the game Lafayette and Alex had been playing earlier and stepped outside.

Meanwhile, he and Alex were herded to the bathroom, Martha’s eyes like that of a hawk’s as she inspected them. She didn’t seem to miss a speck of the dirt covering their hands and knees.

Martha clucked her tongue as they entered the bathroom, wetting a rag and turning first to Alex. “I wish you would be more careful, you could have been hurt, well, even more so than you were tonight.”

“I am sorry, Mama,” he said as she began rubbing the dirt away from Alex’s nose. “We were not thinking.”

“No,” she agreed. “You weren’t. I don’t want to hear about this happening again, are we clear?”

“But Mama, we had to do _something_. We could not let him continue,” Lafayette argued.

“I understand, but next time, come find me or George. I’d rather us get hurt than one of you.”

Lafayette settled back, resigned, “yes, Mama.” He knew that most likely wouldn’t be the case, both he and Alex tended to act before they thought, but if it kept Martha at ease, then he would at least try.

Martha’s fingers fluttered over the bruises across Alexander’s collarbone. “That’s going to need an icepack.” She gave Lafayette the rag. “Keep cleaning yourselves up, I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Laf?” Alex asked, once Martha had left.

“Yes, I am fine,” he said. “Does it hurt?”

Alex tugged at his shirt in an attempt to hide his new injury. “I’ll probably feel it in the morning, that’s how it was last time.”

“This has happened before?” Lafayette’s grip tightened on the edge of the bathtub where he sat. How could this happen twice?

“It was when Nathaniel was killed. I think I’ve told you before.”

“Oh, yes. I remember now, you have never told me the specifics.”

Alex shrugged, “it’s not fun to think about.”

“I see.” He stood, turned to the medicine cabinet, and began rifling through for bandages. Both he and Alex had managed to scrape themselves up somewhere along the way and Martha would be furious if they got blood on the floor.  

“Thank you, Alexander,” he said as his hand closed around the box.

Alex tilted his head, “for what?”

“You pushed me away from our attacker earlier, on the porch. You didn’t have to do that, thank you.” Lafayette retrieved a band aid and unwrapped it.

“I couldn’t let you get caught, what else was I supposed to do?”

“You could have run, but you did not. That is my point.” He stuck it to Alex’s knee, covering a particularly nasty scab.

“You ended up saving me, so I guess it evens out.” Alex reached into the box and plucked one out as well.

“It is what one does for family.” Neither of them mentioned when Lafayette had called Alexander brother, for which he was glad. He did not regret this slip of tongue, but he knew discussing it would inevitably make them both uncomfortable, so he didn’t mention it. He knew Alex was doing the same.

Alex placed the bandage on a scratch Lafayette didn’t know he had on his cheek. He glanced in the mirror, the tan coloring contrasted greatly against his dark skin.

“I think Mama will be proud of our handiwork, we should go see if Papa has returned then get back to bed.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to sleep after this, but yeah, let’s go.”

They wandered out to the living room where Washington and Martha were standing close to one another, quietly discussing something Lafayette couldn’t hear, but he could make a guess.

“Mama, Papa?” He said. “Did you find anything?”

Washington glanced over at his voice and stepped away from Martha, letting the previous stress that had settled on his face melt away and become something akin to relief.

“No,” he said. “Whoever it was is long gone by now. We’ll call the police in the morning, but hopefully that’s the last we see of him.” Washington’s eyes flickered over to the window and Lafayette got the feeling he didn’t quite believe that.

“In the meantime, I want you two to go to bed and I want you to _stay_ there this time. Okay?” Martha tells them, her face stern.

“Yes, ma’am,” says Alex, head lowered, just slightly.

“Goodnight, Mama, Papa.”

Martha’s harsh expression melted, slightly, and she stepped forward, gathering him and Alex in her arms and squeezing tightly. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” she murmured.

Beside him, Alex tensed slightly, but relaxed as Martha held on.

She let go and smiled, “now, get to sleep and no leaving your beds until morning.”

It went unsaid, but Alex and Lafayette didn’t stray far from one another that night. They stayed in Alex’s room, Lafayette’s felt too open, too dangerous. They stuck close through the night, only drifting off once the sun rose and the world seemed right again. Martha and Washington let them sleep late that morning, only waking them when John called the home phone, asking why Lafayette hadn’t answered any of his texts.

Yawning widely, he reached toward the bedside table to where his phone lay, abandoned. The screen glared brightly at him as he pulled up John’s messages.

**From John:**

Hey, u up yet?

**From John:**

Dude, u up?

**From John:**

Hello???

**From John:**

Herc and I r assuming ur dead and r making funeral preparations.

“ _Non,_ ” he mumbled, typing out a response.

**From Laf:**

_Non_ , I am very much alive.

**From Laf:**

Pls, do not bury me.

Lafayette glanced at the time, it was about ten in the morning, much later than he was usually permitted to sleep. Though, his mind flashed back to the previous night, he could see why. Beside him, Alex was stirring, his breathing slowly shifting from an even, relaxed pattern, to a more shallow, quick one.

His phone dinged and Alex rolled over. “Someone's at the door,” he mumbled into his pillow.

Lafayette chuckled and saw John had responded.

**From John:**

Good, cause dead guys can’t meet their friends for ice cream.

**From Laf:**

Ice cream???

**From Laf:**

Oh, and Alexander thought your message ding was the doorbell.

**From John:**

Right, should prob invite you first...

**From John:**

Herc wanted to meet at Theo’s Place today, said to invite you guys.

**From Laf:**

Ah, tell him we will be there. And to ask himself next time.

**From John:**

Gotcha, and get Alex to wake up already. A doorbell? Seriously???

He dropped the phone back on the table, he’d have to charge it before they left. For now though, he fell back into his pillow and closed his eyes., Ice cream could wait, he was still far too tired to face the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make this one longer, but oh well. It killed me writing John's texts. Like, I'm someone who uses proper grammar when I text, so stuff like that drives me nuts. I love you, John, but I completely disagree with your texting ways.  
> On a different note though, this is the second to last chapter of the first part of this book! I mentioned this last week, but just a reminder. Basically, what's going to happen is I'll post chapter sixteen on Friday as usual, but then I won't be posting next week so I can focus more planning the next half out and getting chapters written. Then, I'll be back on the 31st(? I'm bad with dates) and we'll be back on the regular schedule! In that time, I may be posting a oneshot, so if you're interested, that's something to look out for too. And if you have any ideas that you'd want to see (for any ship, really) feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do!  
> But yeah, that's what's happening. As usual, I hope you liked the chapter and I'll see you on Friday! See you!


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Theodosia Pops In; Lafayette Is A Terrible Liar (So Is Alex)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John meets with his friends, but receives some bad news.

John sat impatiently in the overstuffed booth, as he waited for his friends to arrive. Hercules had promised to be there soon, saying he had a few last minute chores to take care of at home and he figured Lafayette and Alex would be late, considering they were still sleeping when he called. Really, that should have been Hercules’ job, seeing as this was his idea in the first place, but when it came to inviting Lafayette, well, _anywhere_ , he’d been getting cold feet, instead electing John to ask in his place. Usually, Hercules would claim it was because he had to help his mom with the dishes or that his phone was dying. John had his own theories, of course, but he refrained from saying anything while Lafayette remained oblivious. If they ever _did_ get together though, that’d be a different story entirely.

He watched as the ice cubes in his water glass clacked about and slowly melted, causing condensation to form on the glass. John twirled his straw and heard the ice clink against the cup

“Lookin’ a little bored there, Johnny.”

John glanced up to see a girl with thick brown hair and olive skin staring down at him.

Theodosia Alston.

As the daughter of the parlor’s owners and where the place’s name had come from in the first place - Theo’s Place - Theodosia spent most of her summer working alongside her parents and friend Aaron Burr; who’d had a crush on her as far back as John could remember, but never had the courage to fess up.

Theo, as she preferred to go by these days, stood over him now, hand on her hip and her loose red T-shirt glaring against the pastel theme of the shop.

“Oh, hey, Theo. I didn’t know you were working today.” He said as she slid into the seat across him.

“I’ve been working everyday, lately. We’ve been short handed since summer started.”

“Really?” He said. “I thought it would’ve been the opposite considering it’s a break and all.”

She shrugged and took a sip from his water. “Most of the guys who worked here last summer graduated so they’ve been busy prepping for college. We’ve been getting by though, it’s been...Peaceful. The old guys were always getting into fights.”

“Really? I never saw any of that.”

“It was after hours, mostly. But, oh well, I get to spend more time with Aaron, so it works out.” She told him.

“Has he asked you out yet?”

Theo frowned and sat back. “Nope, I wish he’d quit being such a wimp and do it already. He _has_ to know I’m into him by now.”

“He’s probably nervous, just be patient. I mean, he’s waited how long?”

Theo thought a moment and ticked off the years on her fingers, “two...Three years? I swear, I’d ask him out myself, but I want him to declare this for himself, you know? He’s always so...Unopinionated. I just want him to take a stand for once in his life.”

“I get it,” John tucked a stray curl behind his ear. “But maybe you should try to make a move? It doesn’t seem like he’s going to budge anytime soon.”

She glanced past John where Aaron was scrubbing at an empty dish with what looked to be chocolate syrup coating it. He lifted a hand in greeting before turning back to what he was doing.

“You might be right, Johnny. Us girls _do_ need to start asking the guys out, don’t we?” She tapped a finger against her chin, “I gotta get back to work now, but I’ll think about what you said. Come up later and I can hook you and your friends up with sundaes, on the house.”

“Thanks,” he said. “How’d you know I was meeting anyone though?”

She grinned. “Because you never come here alone...Plus they just walked in.” She walked off to join Aaron behind the counter. The two really would make a nice couple, Theo tended to bring out the better in Aaron urging him to express himself more and be... _Him_. And Aaron was always ready to help Theo if things got too hectic at the shop. Now if only one of them would come clean.

“John!” A handed clapped him on the shoulder and Hercules slid into the booth.

“Hey, Herc, have you seen Laf and Alex yet?”

He nodded. “They were talking, said it’d be a minute.”

“Talking? About what?” Usually anything that needed to be said, was able to be spoken about amongst all of them. Why was this time different?

Hercules shrugged. “I couldn’t hear, but it sounded serious.”

John glanced behind him, he could see Lafayette and Alex with their heads bowed close to one another.

“They don’t look very happy,” he noted.

“And did you see their faces? Laf’s _covered_ in scratches and Alex is back in the hoodie.”

He looked back again to see Hercules was correct. A bright bandage stuck out against Lafayette’s cheek and Alex was practically drowning in his green hoodie, keeping the fabric pulled to his chin despite the heat.

“Did they get in an accident or something?”

“We’ll find out, turn around. Here they come.”    

A bell rang and his friends entered, immediately spotting John and Hercules and joining them.

“So, you guys finally decided to wake up?”

“It has been a long night, _mon ami_.” Lafayette said, taking a seat. His voice was tired and low. Smudges of purple rested beneath his eyes.

Hercules frowned, “is everything okay?”

“ _Oui_ , do not worry.”

Hercules and John shared a glance, “what happened to your face then?”

“My face? It is fine, what do y--oh,” a hand went to his cheek. “Yes, this. I am fine, it is only a scratch.”

“How’d you get it?” Hercules asked, suspiciously. He leaned across the table, closely scrutinizing Lafayette’s face.

“I, ah, fell. Right Alex?”

“Hmm?” Alex looked up tiredly. “Oh, yeah, he fell down the steps.”

“Really,” John said. “And what about you?”

“I...Also fell down the steps,” he muttered.

“You both did. At the same time?” Hercules asked.

“Yes.” They said.

“You know you guys are terrible liars, right?”

Lafayette deflated a little.

“Yes.”

“So, do you wanna tell us what _really_ happened?”

This time, Lafayette and Alex exchanged looks, an entire conversation that John wasn’t privy to passed between them. Finally, Lafayette nodded.

“Perhaps you were right, Alexander. They should know. Would you like to tell them, or shall I?”

Alex shook his head.

“Okay, fine.” Lafayette pressed his elbows against the table and began speaking. “You remember the stranger that appeared in the yard, no?”

Of course he remembered, it had only been a few days ago and, even if it’d be years, John wasn’t sure he could forget the look on Alex’s face when the man appeared.

“What about him?”

“And what _actually_ happened to you guys?”

“He came back,” Alex said simply.

“As in, he was outside again?” John asked.

“As in he was outside my bedroom.” Lafayette said.

“Wait, what?” John’s eyes went wide. “Was he trying to get in?”

“ _Non_.”

“But then, what happened to you guys? Did you get in a fight with a Woodpecker or something?”

“Well, you see...The man did not come in, but we came _out_.” Lafayette gave a guilty smile, wringing his fingers together.

“You didn’t--”

“ _Oui_ , we did.”

“I’m guessing you were spotted?”

“I tripped,” Alex told him, looking just as guilty. “He heard us and came running.”

“He didn’t catch you, did he?” The horrible image of the man flashed through John’s mind, reaching out for Alex, snatching him into the darkness, never to be seen again.

“Thanks to our dear Alexander, I was not. He, however, was not so lucky. But I believe I did well in coming to the rescue.”

“I’m fine, promise.” Alex told him before John could even ask. “Laf got there before he could do any real damage.”

“But you’re both okay?” Hercules said. “You’re not secretly ghosts or anything in denial of your deaths at the hands of a stalker?”

Lafayette reached over and pinched Alex’s side. “Ow!”

“ _Non_ , he feels pain, we are alive.”

“Great, then we can start our investigation,” John said.

“Our what?”

“Our investigation, duh. We need to find out who’s doing this and put a stop to it before someone else is,” _killed_ , he wanted to say. “Hurt.”

He imagined Alex again, this time fighting against this man, as he must have been last night, struggling to get free, the light draining from his eyes until-

“Where do we even start?” Alex asked, pulling John from his daydream (nightmare more like).

His first thought was to say home, but the others didn’t know what he did. John hadn’t told any of them about what Henry had told him or what he’d found under the bed. He didn’t want to worry them over a theory, no matter how much he was beginning to believe it. Though, maybe later he could pull aside Lafayette. While he may not be the best when it comes to telling lies (as he’d just proven), Lafayette could keep a secret when it counted.

Instead he suggested they start with Alex.

“With me? How does that work?”

“Simple. Out of the four of us, you’ve been closest to him. So, obviously, you’d have the best idea of what he looks like.”

“I’m not following,” Hercules said, eyebrows scrunched together.

“It’s like this: Alex, you’re going to tell me every detail you can of the guy and I’ll draw it.” Lafayette nodded. “Then we can go about town and find anyone who fits the description. That could work.”

“See? I know what I’m talking about,” he said proudly. If he had his art supplies with him, they could do it now. But John had to keep his tools hidden beneath his bed, where Henry wouldn’t be able to find them and give John trouble.

“I can call you later tonight to do it if you want,” Alex offered.

“Do you have my number?” Since when did Alex have a phone?

“Laf gave it to me,” he said.

“In that case, I’ll be waiting.”

Hercules laughed, “waiting by the phone, are you, Johnny?”

John went red, “I- _no_ , it’s solely for the sake of the investigation.” Though, being able to talk to Alex on his own was rather appealing, not that he’d tell Hercules that. The last thing he needed was Hercules on his back.

“Yeah, sure and Laf hates France. _Anyway_ , while you’re busy with that, I was thinking Laf and I could ask around, you know, see if anyone else has had a problem with this guy.”

“Good idea, you guys do that and Alex and I will try to get a picture of the guy. Then, in a few days, we can get together again and go from there.”

There was a murmur of agreement between the four and the conversation slowly began to shift to lighter topics;video games; music; John’s art;  school (there was a mutual groan at that one); Eliza Schuyler (Lafayette insisted she and Alex would make a great couple and John pretended not to care).

“All I am saying, is that if Miss Eliza does moves down here, perhaps she would be worth pursuing,” Lafayette was saying.

“And _I’m_ telling you no. Eliza is my friend, we agreed a long time ago to stay that way.” Alex argued, face red.

“Did you get a good look at him? The guy from last night, I mean.” John asked as they walked.

Not long after Eliza had been brought up, Lafayette had announced they needed to leave, apparently Washington and Martha wanted them home early after last night’s incident. John and Hercules were quick to agree to walking them home.

“It was too dark,” Alex said. “And even if there had been light, the fight moved too fast for me to see much.”

“Think you saw enough for that drawing?”

Alex shrugged, “enough to try it. It’s not like we’ve got any other ideas.”

Ahead of them, Lafayette and Hercules were wildly discussing something about guns and ships, though what that had to do with anything currently happening in their lives, John wasn’t sure, their voices carrying along the street.

“You’re sure you’re okay? You never said how close he got.”

Alex lifted a hand to his neck, wincing. “I’ll live. Lafayette got him off me pretty quickly.”

“Shouldn’t’ve been able to get to you in the first place,” he muttered. “We need to find him, before he can hurt yo- _someone else_ again.”

They crossed the street and John watched as a car zipped by, making him wonder why they even bothered with crosswalks.

“I was meaning to ask, your dad wasn’t too angry when you got back, was he?” Alex looked up at him, eyes filled with concern.

John hesitated, after Washington had dropped him off, Henry had been waiting in the living room, foot tapping impatiently as he came inside.

There’d been a lot of screaming after that, from both ends. But had, inevitably ended up with John marching off to his bedroom and Henry driving out to who knew where. But, Alex didn’t need to know that much, he looked guilty enough as it was, even though he’d had nothing to with it.

“He got over it pretty fast, I avoided him for the most part.”

“Washington wanted to turn around, if that means anything. Neither of us wanted to leave you there.”

“It just would’ve made him madder in the long run. It’s over with now, don’t worry about it.”   

“I’m terrible at not worrying.” He replied.

He laughed, “Can you try?”

Alex hummed and Hercules stumbled slightly on the cracked concrete ahead of them. Lafayette was laughing. “Fine, but only because you asked.”  

Once they reached the house, Alex disappeared inside almost immediately, promising to call later. Hercules had followed him, because his mom was picking him up later and, apparently, it was too hot out for him.

John had been about to follow when Lafayette pulled him back. “I must speak with you a moment, John.”

He stopped and looked up at his friend, briefly wondering how Alex felt, constantly having to look up at everybody (did it make his neck ache?). He seemed concerned.

“What’s up?” He asked, leaning against one of the wooden pillars supporting the porch’s overhang.

“I worry about our, ah, stalker.”

“I think we all do, Laf. Was that all this was about?”

“ _Non_ , well, yes, but it is more than that.” He told John, sinking into the swing.

“Okay, then what’s going on?” Had he not said everything earlier?

“Last night, when we met him, keep in mind I did not see his face, as it was rather dark. Though, I suppose I could’ve turned on the porch light, but--”

“Laf,” he interrupted. “You’re rambling, just tell me already.”

‘Right, sorry. As I was saying, the man’s voice...It sounded very familiar.” John had a sick feeling he knew where this was going.

“We live in a pretty small town, it’s completely possible we know him.”

“You know that is not what I mean, John.”

John folded his arms across his chest and looked away. His eyes landed on the front steps and saw they were now scuffed slightly. He could almost see his friends scrambling away as the man snatched at them. He saw them barely making it inside, the door slamming shut, waking Washington and Martha. It made his stomach churn.

“I think you know what I am thinking.” Lafayette was saying, eyeing the staircase, most likely reliving what John had imagined.

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It could be someone else.”

“It could be...But John, I have known you a very long time. We have not spoken often, but I like to think I am rather good at remembering voices.”

“Well, maybe you made a mistake this time.”

“And if I did not?” He asked, looking stubbornly back at John.

“Then we’ll figure it out. I just don’t think we should decide on anything yet.”

“As do I. But we also should not rule out potential suspects.”

“ _Quit_ calling him a suspect.”

“I did not, I called him a _potential_ suspect, as is everyone else.” Lafayette told him. He stood and walked to the steps. “But John, I know what I heard. Please, just consider it?”

He didn’t answer, he already was considering it and Lafayette knew that. He wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise. And hadn’t this been John’s plan as well? To mention exactly what Lafayette was now? So, why was was he getting so upset?

Lafayette turned away, “think of it this way. Whoever it is, hurt Alexander last night and possibly before that. I do not know what _you_ think of Alex. But he is my brother now, and I will do what I can to protect him.”

Before John could stop him, Lafayette stormed inside, leaving John alone. He slid to the ground and buried his head in his hands. He was right, not that John would admit that. Not yet. But Alex _had_ been hurt last night and it could have been Henry’s fault. He remembered the gun; Henry’s strange behavior. Then he remembered promising Alex that this wasn’t his fault.

But if Lafayette was thinking the same as John...He shook his head. Suddenly, his suspicions felt all too real and he knew why he’d been angry. With Lafayette thinking the same as him, that made it twice as possible for his father to be behind this.

No, he wasn’t going to make any assumptions. He couldn't. Not until they knew more. But in order to know more, they needed to start investigating.

Sighing, John got to his feet. He had work to do, they all did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! The first part of this book is complete! I'll be back in a week with the next half and I can't wait for you guys to read it, I've already got the first few written out and the few after that planned out in my head.   
> Seriously though, if you've been reading this, thank you so much. I originally never even planned to post this, it was just something I was doing to keep busy over the summer. But then, I did (obviously or I wouldn't be talking to you) and I'm really happy about that. So, yeah, thanks again if you've been reading this, especially if you've been commenting (they really help!). And hey, if you want to check it out, I'll be posting some oneshots I've been working on throughout the week. So, if you're interested, I'd love to see what you think!  
> Anyway, thanks again for reading and I'll see you in a week!


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Thomas Is A Jerk; Hercules Just Wants To Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's first day of school doesn't go as well as he'd hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And really happy to be too!  
> Fair warning though, Alex really isn't happy with himself in this chapter and basically blames himself for a lot of the things happening in his and other's lives right now. So be careful of that, it's mainly toward the end, but if anybody needs a summary, I'd be more than happy to give it, just let me know!

The remaining weeks before the school year started were a blur to Alex. He, John, Lafayette, and Hercules had done their best in investigating about town, but with so little to go on, they didn’t get far. He’d called John awhile ago for the drawing, but John had scrapped it before Alex could even see the end result. Apparently, there hadn’t been enough details to make a full picture, but Alex had thought that even with what little he’d given, there could’ve been a vague image. But John was the artist, so Alex figured he knew more.

Their - _his_ , as Alex had started seeing him - stalker hadn’t made another appearance since their last meeting. The bruises had mostly faded and the attack had slipped to the back of his mind, only resurfacing in the night, when Lafayette sometimes appeared in his doorway, eyes wide and anxious. Alex never made comment on it, he’d done the same on multiple occasions. He only scooted over and patted the empty space beside him.  Neither were quite comfortable alone anymore.

A fact that made the first day of school even harder.

Alex was ready for the distraction, ready for a break from the chaos that encased him and his friends. It had gone unsaid, but Alex could tell they thought the same as him: the stalker was one and the same with Nathaniel’s killer. He was there for Alexander, after all, none of this had happened before he’d arrived and chances were it wouldn’t have had he never come. Lafayette and John had been at odds as well, a strange animosity bubbling just beneath the surface, coming up for air only when the two were alone. Only to disappear the moment Alex or Hercules entered the room, the two joking with one another like all was well. Alex listed them both as lives he’d managed to screw over by simply existing.

They were two names on an incredibly long list.

But now, standing beside Lafayette in front of Declaration high, all that was washed down the drain, leaving Alex so quickly he briefly wondered what it was like to form a coherent thought.

The bus had just pulled away, leaving Alex with no escape, he was stuck here now.

“Alexander, are you ready? Class will be starting soon.”

As Alex pulled himself back to reality, he noticed Lafayette eyeing him curiously.

He blinked, what had he said? Class, right. He nodded.

Despite his previous excitement for the year to start, the words Alex had worked so hard to regain since coming to the Washingtons’ had evaporated, sailing into the air, far, far out of his reach.

Whether he didn’t notice or chose not to point it out, Alex wasn’t sure, but whatever the reason, Lafayette only grinned and bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet. “This way, then! Hercules and John wanted to meet us beforehand.”

They did? He hadn’t known that.

“Come on!” Grinning wildly, Lafayette bounded away, forcing Alex to follow him through the double doors that led inside. He hurried inside, passing several teachers, one frowned as he passed, but most wore large smiles, watching the other kids as they milled about the parking lot.

They found John and Hercules in the library. The two were waiting near the R’s in the fiction section, John was showing Hercules a pale blue book with a kid on the cover. Hercules spotted them first and waved them over.

“So,” Hercules was saying. “You guys ready to lose any and all freedom for the next nine months?”

John scoffed, “please, that’s something they can never take away, no matter how much homework they give.”

“We will see, I assume we’re meeting at the same place as always for lunch?” Lafayette asked, a little too loudly. The librarian glared at them from behind the desk.

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t. Someone will have to show Alex though.”

“I can,” said Hercules. “I think we have the same class beforehand.”

The warning bell rang.

“Shoot, I need to head out.” Hercules said. “My first hour is all the way across campus.”

Alex glanced down at the schedule between his fingers. Room 108. Wasn’t that in first hall? He thought he remembered seeing it during orientation.

Jeez, orientation. Even if it’d only been a week ago, it felt like years had passed since he first walked through those doors, taking in where he would be stuck for the next nine months. It had felt much...Bigger, then. With wide corridors and more than enough room to breath. Now the halls were bursting with students; Freshmen wandered about, confused and in search of the right classroom, while Seniors leaned against lockers, looking bored.

“I have to go, as well. I want to be early. Alexander, will you be able to find your classes?”  

Alex looked again at the paper, probably not. But how hard could it be? He had a map in his backpack anyway. “I can figure it out.”

Lafayette grinned and turned to Hercules, “then we will see you at lunch!” He and Hercules turned down the aisle, quickly disappearing into the throng of students.

John seemed skeptical. “Are you sure you know where you’re going? Just the other day you were saying it took months to figure out your old school.”

“Well, yeah, but this one is a lot smaller than my old one, it can’t be _that_ hard.”

John leaned over to peek at his schedule, “that’s not far from my first class, I could walk you there, if you want. Just to be safe.”

With a note of surprise, Alex realized John was watching him, fidgeting as he awaited an answer. If Alex hadn’t known better, he would’ve mistaken John to be nervous. Over what, he wasn’t sure.

“That’d be nice.” Alex suppressed a sigh of relief, he really hadn’t known where to go.

Somewhere along the way, John must have realized Alex didn’t know where he was going, because he began to lead the way through the halls. Dodging peers and waving to teachers he must have recognized from previous years.

Finally, they stopped outside a simple looking classroom with posters plastered on the walls berating spelling mistakes and warning to think before speaking. Overall, it looked like a typical classroom, if a bit young for a room full of tenth-graders. John said goodbye and began making toward his own classroom, promising to see Alexander at lunch.

The class went by quickly and without incident. The teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Adams, an older women with an affinity for classic literature and politics. As it was the first day, they spent the hour playing those ‘get to know you’ games and going over the syllabus. The bell rang and second hour proved to be just as uneventful. He’d met the girl John had mentioned when they first met, Theo. She was nice enough and they partnered for a small project they were assigned.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t until fifth hour that things went awry. He’d finally made it to class - actually finding the place on the second try - and found a place beside Hercules, who was also there, as promised.

“Alex!” Hercules patted the seat beside him. “I was wondering when you’d get here. How’s your first day going?”

“A lot quieter than I expected. I can’t it’s almost over.”

“You know, I was a bit worried you were going to have some trouble this morning. You seemed really nervous.”

Alex felt his face go red, just slightly. Had that only been this morning? It felt like decades ago.

He shrugged, “first day and all that. I’m good now.”

“I should warn you about our teacher, though.”

Alex glanced at the nameplate on the desk, Mr. Franklin. “What about him?”

“He’s a bit...Eccentric. And he has this thing about electricity. If he ever asks for help with an experiment...Say no. Just say no and run.”

“...Okay?” He laughed and Hercules did the same. “If he’s so bad, then how’s he still have a job here?”

Hercules leaned and dug through his backpack, “it’s not that he’s bad,” he said over his shoulder. “He’s actually like, crazy smart.” He came back up, a notebook in hand. “The guy gets carried away is all.”

“Say no to experimentation and pay attention, got it. Anything else?”

“No I think we’re--”

“My God.” A voice behind them interrupted.

Alex and Hercules turned in their seats, only to be met with a faceful of purple.

“Of all the people I could’ve run into, it had to be you, didn’t it, Hamilton?”

“Alex? Who is this?” Hercules asked. He looked between Alex and the newcomer, confusion clearly written across his features.

“ _No_ ,” was all he could say. How? What were the chances? Anyone from his old school could have transferred, but of course it had to be him. Not Eliza, not James, no, it had to be him.

A gasp. “Didn’t know you were still capable of talking, Hamilton. Thought you lost that after your little...Accident.”

Alex could feel his hands shaking, whether from rage or anxiety, he wasn’t sure yet. Both, probably. “What are you doing here, _Jefferson_? ”

“Got some of your bite back, I see.”

“Okay, hold up.” Hercules put up a hand and stood. “What’s going on here? What exactly gives you the right to talk to him like that?”

Jefferson pouted, “you never mentioned me? And I thought I was special.”

Alex got up, feeling incredibly small between the two. “Just get out of here, Jefferson. Things are different now, I’m not your little plaything. Not anymore.”

He chuckled, as though Alexander was nothing more than a petulant child. “We’ll see about that and who’s this? You actually managed to make a friend around here?”

Hercules’ eyes flared and he took a step closer to Jefferson, “yeah, he did. Several, actually. And you are?”

“Thomas Jefferson, Alexander and I went to school together. Didn’t we, Alex?”

“Don’t call me that,” he muttered. Where was this Franklin, shouldn’t he be here by now? People were starting to stare.

“Look,” Hercules was saying. “Maybe you should leave, Thomas. Alex clearly doesn’t want you hear and if he thinks you’re bad news, so do I.”  
Jefferson looked Hercules up and down, before nodding his approval. “Loyal. Not bad, Hamilton. At least you have some sense. It’s too bad, I think we could’ve been friends,” he said. “We can catch up later, Hamilton, I’d love to hear just how you managed to get yet _another_ member of your family killed. It was your mom last time, right? Or was she _after_ the entire town?” A bark of laughter and Alex felt himself go rigid.

Jefferson stalked off, seating himself by a boy on the other side of the room. How had he known about that? No one beyond Eliza truly knew what had happened or why he’d disappeared during the summer. As far as his old peers were concerned, he’d gone to another school and that was the end of it. So how? Eliza wouldn’t have told anyone, she was too loyal for that. Had there been something on the news? Had Jefferson seen it in the paper? His hands were still shaking, but it wasn’t from rage, no, this was fear. Pure, unadulterated terror.

Thomas Jefferson was back and he’d brought with him every single thing Alex had tried to push away, every detail he had tried to forget. And if he were anything like Alex remembered, the entire school would know by the end of the week; would know about his mother, about the hurricane, the accident, and now, about Nathaniel. They would make it his fault, just like they always did. Then his friends would scurry away as fast as they could, because who wanted to be near the human trainwreck that was Alexander Hamilton?

He could practically see it, Lafayette pulling away, secretly telling Washington and Martha what a bad idea it had been to take him in, how he was only putting them in danger. Hercules, choosing to stand by Jefferson next time he was confronted, insisting Alex was as worthless as Jefferson said he was. And John.

Oh God, John. He’d find out just how much Alex had been hiding from him, from all them, and he would hate him for it. He would be disgusted by all that Alex had done and would leave him in the dust. Deserting whatever it was that had been forming between them. Or, even worse, John would see what had been building in Alex’s chest since the day they met, and he would laugh. Laugh at the way Alex’s gaze would linger a little longer than that of a friend’s would; laugh at the way Alex would get too flustered for words when John took his hand; laugh at how Alex had thought there would even be a _chance_ of John feeling the same; he would laugh at Alex.

He stood motionless in the classroom, beside him, Hercules was desperately trying to get his attention. But Alex couldn’t seem to hear him, the only sound to reach his ears was a faint buzz, like a swarm of bees had decided to make their hive right there on his shoulders. His breath was heavy and a small voice was telling him to correct that, but Alex wasn’t a very good listener, so he elected to ignore it.

Instead, in slow, deliberate motions, Alex bent down, scooped up his belongings, and walked from the room, he wouldn’t run. He couldn’t give Jefferson that satisfaction. Behind him, Hercules was gently asking him to stop, to come back. But again, he didn’t listen. There was a yell, as he left the room, but Alex didn’t think that it was meant for him.

The door shut with a bang and he turned the corner, finally allowing himself to run. Everyone was in class anyway, who would see him?

Alex only stopped once he came upon the realization that he had no clue where he was. The area was unfamiliar to him and the way back to class was unclear.

Taking a breath, Alex looked about. From what he could tell, he had managed to get himself to the other end of the school a long way from anything or anyone he knew. He was still in a hallway, well, at the corner of two, both stretching in opposite directions. The one to his left was filled with classrooms on either side, while the one of his right was lined with windows and branched off to other halls.

Alex decided to go right, figuring he could rule out left because surely a teacher would have heard him pass by and come out. So he set off, not sure where he was going, only knowing he couldn’t go back to Mr. Franklin’s room, not now, if ever. Maybe he could find a bathroom and hide out there until the hour was over, how much longer could he have left?

He glanced down at his phone, it was only eleven thirty. Lunch was still a half hour away. Alex noticed a steady stream of texts coming in as well, most from Hercules and Alex wondered what Jefferson had been able to tell him in the short time he’d been gone. He put his phone on silent as he arrived at the bathroom, that was one friend down, thanks to Jefferson, how long until they were all gone?

Alex dumped his backpack in one of the stalls and quickly joined it on the floor. He drew his knees to his chest and remembered the list from that morning. He silently added Hercules Mulligan and buried his head in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Welcome back to the story, I am so excited to start posting again! Unfortunately, I didn't get quite as much written as I would've liked, but I've still got a few ready and waiting to be posted! I also never put out those oneshots like I said, so sorry about that as well. But that's actually because I was thinking of posting another book on here? I don't have all the details worked out, but just knows that's something I'm working on! Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, as usual the next one should go up Friday, but if it doesn't then I'm really sorry. I'll be out of town, but I should still be able to get the chapter up.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Alex Disappears; Lafayette Searches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his run in with Jefferson, Alex has disappeared to who knows where. His friends go in search of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, when found, Alexander is in the midst of a panic attack, stay safe!

Lafayette’s morning was uneventful. In the morning, he and Hercules walked to their first hour together, narrowly managing to get seats beside one another in the back. Then they had parted ways and he had met his friend Adrienne in history class, who had also moved to America from France around the same time he had. The only difference being that she had come with her parents, Lafayette had not. They had bonded in the past over their origins and were good friends to this day. Afterward, he made his way to Geometry, where he spent the hour fidgeting in his seat

It wasn’t until the beginning of fifth hour and Hercules began blowing up the group chat that he found his day wouldn’t end quite as well as it began. The messages started out simple but as time went on, they became more and more panicked until Lafayette could hardly read them due to typos.

He’d put his phone on silent and had spent the last twenty minutes peeking at it from beneath his desk when the teacher wasn’t looking. From what he was able to decipher of Hercules’ frantic texts, a boy from Alex’s old school had appeared and caused trouble, eventually resulting in Alex running from the room.

Lafayette had to laugh though, Hercules liked to say he was such a terrible liar, but Hercules wasn’t much better himself.

**From Hercules:**

So...Where would Alex go if he were upset?

**From Hercules:**

Hypothetically, of course.

**From Hercules:**

Because I am a responsible human being who totally didn’t just misplace one of his best friends.

After that, Lafayette had lost the remainder of attention he’d been giving to class to his phone. Texting quickly and, hopefully, without detection. Not long ago, John had also joined the conversation, showing his own concern.

**From John:**

Herc how do u ‘misplace’ somebody

**From John:**

What did u do???

Slowly, the story began to unravel from there. Hercules told them all that had transpired with one Thomas Jefferson and it was all Lafayette could do to keep John from finding and murdering the boy, even if that was exactly what he wanted to do as well. They finally agreed to meet as soon as class let out. John had suggested they check the library, because it would be quiet. But Lafayette thought a bathroom was more likely as it would be easier to find than a place Alex had only visited once.

The clock seemed to slow the moment he got the first text, moving at a fraction of a second until Lafayette wondered if he’d truly managed to stop time through the sheer power of his impatience.

When the bell finally rang, Lafayette practically leapt from his seat and ran from the classroom. John reached the cafeteria first, followed by Lafayette, then Hercules.

“What took you so long?” John asked when they finally arrived.

“Not all of us were right outside the lunchroom, John.”

“So, where do we start?” Lafayette asked, looking around the busy room, hoping to spot Alexander.

“You mentioned the bathrooms? We should look there first and maybe a few empty classrooms.”

“ _Oui_ , the last time he panicked, Alexander sort of...Shut down, so be careful.”

“Got it, anything else?” John seemed to be edging further and further away the longer they spoke. All three of them were doing it, actually. Slipping in different directions, waiting to be released.

“That’s it, message the chat if either of you find him,” Hercules said.

And they split off, John setting out for the library, Hercules in any classroom he could find, and Lafayette to search the bathrooms.

He ducked into the hallway, avoiding the curious gazes of teachers as he went. The building was much quieter now, most students were having lunch but some were still in class, most likely waiting for their turn to go eat. Several watched him jealously as he passed by, under the impression that he was headed exactly where they wanted to be. _If only_ , he thought, _that would be so much easier._ Lafayette passed them quickly and ducked into the first bathroom he came across, softly calling for Alexander. When he received no reply and saw every stall was empty, he moved on. From what Lafayette could remember, there were only five restrooms in the school that Alexander could access. Three were located at the end of each main hall, to be used on the way to class. He had just been in one of those, so he marked it off the list. The other two were located beside the gym and in the library. Those he also cast aside because John would be searching the library and the gym was much too far for Alexander to have gone, plus Lafayette wasn’t sure Alex even knew where to find that one.

That left two.

He continued onward, scouring every part of his mind for any bit of information as to what to do if he did find Alexander. If it was anything like it had been when he’d mentioned John’s father, then Lafayette would have to do as Washington had.

He reached the next bathroom. He performed a quick search, tapping lightly against each door, his heart jumping a little when he heard rustling from within one, but soon realized it was only another student, not Alexander. Lafayette left, only one more remained, then perhaps he could go meet John in the Library.  

What _had_ Washington done? Lafayette had been asked to leave rather quickly once he had arrived, Martha had told him it was to give Alexander space- so it would be best to not crowd him. But what else? He’d spoken quietly to Alex, as though trying to pull him back from wherever it was he had gone. He decided talking would also be good. Saying his name had also seemed to help, a way to grasp his attention, to keep him there.

Lafayette approached the final stop. He paused a moment, glancing at his phone in the hopes of seeing a message from one of his friends, telling him they had found Alex and there was no need to keep looking; no need to worry any longer. But no such text had appeared, so he slid the phone back in his pocket and gently pushed the bathroom door open.

Inside, Lafayette found himself wrapped in an eerie silence. The cold grey tile was littered with paper towels as it always was and the stall doors all hung open except for a handicap one on the end.  

His footsteps sounded like thunderclaps as he made his way to the stall. The closer he got, he began to notice the slight shadow cast against the floor.

“Hello?” Lafayette called softly, pressing a hand to the door. It was unlocked.

When there was no response, he pushed, letting the door swing on its hinges as he inched inside.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but frowned. Alexander was there. Back pressed against the wall and forehead against his knees.

“Alexander?” Unlike last time, there was no heavy breathing, no muttered words between desperate gasps for air. There was silence, utter and absolute. Any plans Lafayette had formed before coming here had gone out the window, this was not what he had been expecting.

And so, as carefully as he could manage, Lafayette slid down to sit beside his friend - brother? Alexander had yet to correct him and Lafayette saw no reason to remind him of the title - kicking Alex’s backpack away, effectively destroying the barrier it formed between them.

“Alex?” He remembered what Washington had done. Say his name, get his attention. “Can you hear me?”

No response.

Lafayette considered reaching to touch him, but recalled that Washington had kept his distance that night, and pulled back.

Talking, Washington had been talking. But about what? _Nothing_ , his mind provided. Nothing and everything, he just needed the voice, not necessarily the content.

“Alexander,” he tried again. “I am going to talk, I would like you to nod if what I say begins to make sense.” Though, if he weren’t making sense now, then Alex wouldn’t know to nod when it did begin to. He ignored this and started talking anyway.

He started with small talk, weather, school, their friends, whatever came to mind. But overtime, Lafayette tried to broach bolder topics. His opinions on teachers, this new Thomas Jefferson that had started this to begin with, even his love life, or rather, his frustration at lack thereof.

“He is just very blind at times and I do not understand his recent distance. Have I done something wrong?” Lafayette paused.

He’d almost missed it: A minute shake of the head. A true blink and he’d miss it scenario.  He had to laugh, “you were supposed to nod, but I am glad to see you are coming back, _mon ami_.”

Alex’s head lifted slightly and hair fell into his eyes as he glanced at Lafayette. “How long was I…?” He trailed off.

“A half hour, perhaps. I’m sorry, we would have looked sooner, but we were not able to get out of class.” He explained, scooting a small bit closer.

“We?”

“John and Hercules are searching the rest of the school for you...They are very worried.”

Alex only shook his head again.

“Do you mean to tell me they are not worried? Because, I was under a much different impression.”

“Jefferson is gonna ruin everything,” he mumbled, ignoring what Lafayette had said. “Just like he did last time.”

“What did he say, Alexander ?”

“He knows ‘bout all of it. I didn’t want you guys to know yet.”

Lafayette leaned closer, curious. What didn’t they know? He knew that Alexander kept much under wraps about his old life, but surely there couldn’t be much more. Could there?

“About what? It is only us here, you can tell me.”

Silence. Maybe later then.

“Is Hercules angry?”

Lafayette tilted his head, confused. “Should he be?”

“He was yelling when I left.”

Oh, he realized. Yes, Hercules had mentioned that. After Alex had left, he had given this Jefferson an earful until the teacher arrived, who had, in turn, watched a moment, before begrudgingly shutting the whole situation down.

“That was not at you. Let’s just say...This bully will not bother you anymore today.”

Alex sat up, running a hand through his hair. “He'll be back; always is."

"But not today, we will not let him."

He took a shaky breath and Lafayette noticed the way Alex's hands shook under the sleeves of his hoodie, he inched closer. "May I come to you?" It felt strange to make such a request, usually his friends never minded if Lafayette came close or touched them without warning, but now was different. Now he was walking on glass with every move he made.

Alex nodded, he wasn't feeling talkative then.

This was another thing Lafayette had noticed in his time around Alexander, when his moods took particularly low swings, he tended to fall as silent as he was when they first met. It was disconcerting, like he was suddenly blown back in time only to meet this old, scarred Alex, who didn't yet trust him the way he did now.

He scooted toward Alex and gingerly put an arm over his shoulder, unsure if he would be pushed away or not. But, to his surprise, Alex leaned into him, fingers curling around the hem of his shirt, as though afraid Lafayette would disappear, should he let go.

He tightened his hold around Alexander, he really needed to tell the others all was well. But his phone was in his back pocket and Alex showed no signs of moving.    

He decided they could wait.

Minutes passed, lunch would be ending soon and they would have to get to class before a teacher caught them skipping. But the silence had become somewhat comforting and he liked the way the rest of the world seemed to fade from his mind. Nothing else existed right now, only them and soft breathing filling the air.

"Do you hate me?"

Lafayette started, arms twitching suddenly. He looked down at Alex, where had that come from? "Why would I hate you, Alexander? You have done nothing wrong."

He took a moment to form an answer, but when he did, it was all Lafayette could do not to track Jefferson down and deal with the boy himself. "Because I'm bad luck, I kill people."

Lafayette shifted away, letting Alex up and trapping his eyes. "You have killed no one, Alexander. No one."

"You don't know, not about before, not what I did."

He swallowed drily, it felt as though all the moisture had left his mouth, making it difficult to speak. "Tell me what you have done, _mon ami_ , I will tell you if it was truly your fault." He already knew the answer, whatever it was, it hadn't been Alex's fault, he wouldn't believe otherwise. He couldn't.

"My mother caught a deadly sickness from me," he started, only to be interrupted by Lafayette almost immediately.

"Did you plan to get sick?"

"I-no."

"Did you purposefully give this sickness to her?"

"No," quieter than before.

"Then it was not your fault, what's next?"

"There was a hurricane," Alex said. "It destroyed my town, killed everyone but me."

Lafayette blinked, "can you control the weather?" A head shake. "Not your fault. And I will say now: no, you did not kill Nathaniel nor are you the reason for our new stranger. He is the one stalking us, you did not call him hear and you do not want him here. So, as I've said many times: _Not. Your. Fault_ _._ Anything else?"

Alex didn't meet his eyes, letting them dart around instead, landing on a spot Lafayette couldn't see. "There was a car accident, just before I came here. Nathaniel and I had been fighting, he didn't see the other car...We drove away. The other car was totaled and we drove away. We left them to die."

 "Did you want to leave them there? Or were you given a choice?" Lafayette was tense now, he hate how familiar the story sounded, so close to one he had heard, not so long ago.

Alexander must have noticed the way Lafayette's muscles bunched now, he willed them to relax. "He wouldn't let me help, said they should've been watching out."

"Did you call for help? Did you _try_?" He asked.

"After Nathaniel went to sleep...I stole his phone and called an ambulance, the woman driving was dead by the time they arrived, I don't know what happened to the boy."

 _The boy_.

A woman died and a boy lived, puzzle pieces clicked in his brain; gears began turning. He needed to speak to John, very soon. Alex as well, and Hercules. All of them, really. But not at once, perhaps, he couldn't see that ending well.

He looked up, realizing Alexander was still waiting for his answer, his decision. His eyes asked the question without his lips making a sound. _Did I do it?_

And so, Lafayette answered the same way he had every time before and would every time after. "Not your fault." And he believed it, he truly did.

Silence again. More comfortable this time as the relaxed. Beside him, Alex was still tense, but he was in once place and, for now, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Alex, hopefully he realizes his friends aren't going leave anytime soon. Honestly, the comments sending him support last chapter were so sweet, you guys are the best and I'm sure he'd appreciate it.  
> But Laf though, like really. I love him so much and he just wants to help everyone. Why can't he just make everyone happy?  
> Oh, right, because angst. He does his best though and I'm sure the others appreciate it.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Also, I'm not usually one to ask, but it's been a long week, so comments would be greatly appreciated. See ya Monday!


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Alex Needs A Break; John Can't Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John decides he and his friends need a break.

From then on out, it went unsaid that anytime Thomas Jefferson looked in their direction, he would be met with a glare and silence. He didn’t try to approach the four of them, whatever Hercules had said to him that first day had proven to be enough to keep him at bay.

But that did little to stop the whispers that spread through the school. John knew he had grown up in a small town, meaning rumors spread faster than the flu. He remembered when his mom had died, whispers had flown about the school for months and still did from time to time. But Alexander had proven to be much more than a whisper, no, he was a shout. He did what he could to keep Alex out of earshot, but John heard it wherever he went. There was no doubt Jefferson had helped, he couldn’t confront Alex directly, so he worked from behind the scenes, spreading what he could to let the stories fly.

It was to the point that Alex didn’t even acknowledge them anymore. He simply ignored anyone who asked, instead choosing to turn to whoever was nearest him - John tried to be that person as often as possible - and acting as though he hadn’t heard a thing. Though, he’d found this also applied to him, Hercules, and Lafayette as well. Anytime one of them would bring it up, Alex would look away, mumble that it wasn’t important, and that would be the end of it.

The rumors that flew weren’t pretty, but even John had to admit: he was curious. His peers had said it all, but only some of it he knew was true. Yes, Alex had come from the Caribbean; yes, he had come to America after his parents were gone; yes, something else had happened while he was on Nevis that John didn’t know about; and yes, his cousin was dead. But what about everything else?

His classmates were never ones to try to disguise or hide what they were talking about if John was near, so he’d heard it all. There had been talk of a hurricane when he was younger and an accident of some kind not one year ago. But at this point, John just did what he could to ignore it. To ignore the curiousity building in his chest until John thought he might explode.

“John...John?” He looked up to see a pencil being waved in front of his eyes. Lafayette was watching him curiously.

“What? Sorry, I wasn’t listening.” He muttered, flipping the page of his chemistry book.

“Clearly.” Lafayette marked something on his paper. “I asked if you had found the answer to number five.”

“Oh, yeah, check page thirty-seven.”

“ _Merci_ ,” he flipped several pages ahead, traced a finger along the paragraph, then scribbled something down.

John stared down at his own sheet, he’d already finished his homework during class, but it was tradition to work together after school. It was  easirer and the perfect excuse not to go home straight away. Plus, with three other heads working on the same question, things went much quicker.

He glanced up as Lafayette’s book snapped shut and John watched as he fell back, grinning triumphantly at his finished work. “I am done for the night!” He announced.

“Great, now you can help me out,” Hercules called from Alex’s desk.

Lafayette frowned and didn’t bother to move.

They’d decided to work in Alex’s room today instead of Lafayette’s like they usually did (“a change in scenery will make us work faster!” He’d argued). The lighting was better and Hercules was able to make a mess on someone else’s desk for once.

John glanced up, his friends were scattered about the room, each of them absorbed in their own work. Alex was leaned against the wall, a worn composition book propped against his knees as he wrote, effectively blocking out the rest of the world. Lafayette sat across him, ankles dangling idly over John’s backpack as his eyes drifted to Hercules. He saw John had noticed and simply quirked an eyebrow before continuing. Hercules, meanwhile, remained oblivious to the eyes at his back as he sewed a shirt for his Home Economics class. He wasn’t doing too bad either, having chosen a soft, blue material that would go well with the trousers he’d made last year. John wondered if Hercules had planned that.

“Hey, Alex,” John called. He didn’t look up. “Alex?”

“Try throwing something at him.” Hercules suggested.

“ _Alexander Hamilton_ ,” he tried again. This time, he took an eraser and tossed it at Alex. He looked up.

“What?”

“You’ve gotta be near done with that by now. How long have you been working on it?”

Alex shrugged, “dunno, a week, maybe?”

John exchanged a glance with his friends.

“What is it?” Lafayette asked, having torn his eyes from Hercules.

Alexander shut the book, “it’s nothing, just an essay.”

“You tend to finish those faster than that, why’s this one so important?”

“It just is,” Alex muttered.

John climbed off the bed and snatched the book from his hands.

“What-hey!”

“Relax,’ he said, dangling it over Alex’s head as he reached for it. “I’m not going to read it. I think we all need a break. So, for now, this,” he waggled the book in front of Alex, “is going in here.”

John tossed Alex’s writing into a desk drawer and slammed it shut.

Hercules squinted at him, suspicious. “What are you up to, Laurens?”

“Me? _I’m_ only making sure Alexander here rests once in awhile. What’re _you_ up to, Mulligan?”

Hercueles dangled the shirt, “I thought it was pretty obivous.”

“This is ridiculous. John, what are you planning?” Lafayette interrupted, shoving his school supplies into his backpack.

“I think we should we should go on an adventure.” He said, simply.

“An adventure. Seriously? What are we, twelve?”

“No, better: Teens with nothing better to do.”

“And what about my shirt?” Hercules asked, he was holding up a near finished sleeve.

“It can wait, it’s almost done anyway.”

John turned on his heel, marching for the door. “You coming?”

There was a collective sigh, but he heard three sets of feet trudging behind him.

 

* * *

 

John really hadn’t thought his ‘adventure’ through. It had been more of a split second decision on his part. But if the others noticed this, they didn’t say anything as he lead them to the backyard.

When John was younger, he, Lafayette, and Hercules would spend hours in the woods behind the Washington’s home. Usually playing pretend or trying to climb the highest tree they could find. He’d broken an arm in these woods.

“So,” Hercules said, stopping beside him to peer into the trees. “We’re gonna play bandits like we did in middle school?”

He shrugged, “maybe.”

“Or we could explore, I’d imagine these woods look very different than they did then,” Lafayette suggested.

“When was the last time you were in here?” Alex asked as they forged into the trees, the sun beating down overhead.

Lafayette thought a moment. How long _had_ it been? John’s last visit had been in the eighth grade. Nearly two years ago.  

“I would say...Beginning of freshman year?”

Hercules ducked under a low hanging branch, “I would’ve thought you’d spend more time out here, Laf. Or that you would’ve taken Alex out, at least.”

“I-yes, I wanted to,” Lafayette replied. “But you know how poor my sense of direction is. I only would have gotten us lost.”

“I remember that more than anything.” John said, laughing.

“Didn’t we get stuck in the rain one time?’

“I remember that. We had to take shelter near that creek.”

“Laf, your parents were so upset,” Hercules said. “They wouldn’t let us leave for an hour.”

Lafayette flushed, “they wanted to be sure you were all right. John was shaking like a leaf.”

“I was fine!” He cried.

“John, your curls were sticking to your face and your shoes kept making a weird squishing sound,that’s not fine,” Hercules told him.

“ _Anyway_ , Alex, what do you think so far?”

John looked over. Alex had been silent so far, but it didn’t seem to be a bad thing. Alex was looking around with a strange curiousity. The look on his face was foreign to John.

Autumn was beginning to set in. It was the start of September and already the leaves were changing, though they had yet to fall from the their trees, instead forming a rainbow of reds, oranges, and browns in the foliage. Alex took this in with a wide eyed wonder and John had to admit, it was a little adorable.

“This is amazing,” he muttered.

“You act like this is your first time seeing Fall,” John told him, chuckling.

“We never had anything like this on Nevis.” Alex plucked a leaf from the ground, examining it. It was crumpled from being stepped on by Hercules and brown with age, veins were evident across its surface.

“And you never saw this in the city?”

He shook his head, “I stuck pretty close to the heart of the city, there was never much time to see this or...Anything, really.”

“Well then, we are happy to show you now,” Lafayette called, hands above his head as he swung on a branch.

“We could climb that, you know.” Hercules said, eyes traveling up the base of the tree. “It wouldn’t be that hard.”

“You did promise an adventure, John.” Alex agreed.

“That I did,” he muttered, looking into the branches. They looked sturdy enough, certainly capable of holding a couple of teenage boys. Hopefully. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Tree climbing proved to be much harder than it had been two years ago. John had been a small middle schooler, always being several inches shorter and several pounds lighter than his friends. Now - while he was still both of these things - he had shot up in height, which helped to reach for the next branch, but he had also gotten heavier, meaning he had to choose which branch to leap to next much more carefully than he’d previously had to.

Below him, Hercules was clinging to the trunk, helping Lafayette to the next branch, both seeming to have the same problem as him, only to a greater degree. Meanwhile, Alex had managed to scramble ahead of all of them, swinging just above John as though the rules of gravity didn’t apply to him. He was turning out to be surprisingly good at this.

“Alexander, _mon ami_ , how are you climbing so quickly?” Lafayette called from below.

Alex looked down, having settled against the trunk, one leg dangling in the air. “I guess I’m just limber. Are you really having that much trouble, Laf?”

“ _N_ _on_ , this is only...Harder than I remember it being. But do not worry, I will beat you to the top yet.”

“Sure you will, Laf, it’s not like I’ve been pulling you up for the last ten minutes.” Hercules said, grinning down at him.

“Please,” John said. “I’m going to beat all of you.” He reached up, wrapped his fingers around Alex’s branch, and pulled himself up.

“Hey,” he said, panting. “How’s the view up here?”

“I wouldn’t know, _someone_ seems to be blocking it.” Alex said, scooting back to give John room.

“Like you’ve seen anything better today,” he replied. “I mean, look at these freckles.”  
“Sure,” he mumbled something else that John didn’t hear.

“What was that?”

Alex reddened, “n-nothing...Bet I can beat you to the top.” He sprang up with an ease John didn’t know he possessed and latched onto the next branch. Alex smirked down at him, inviting him to follow.  

“You’re on. Guys,” he looked down at Hercules who was in the midst of pulling Lafayette up. “Catch up, if you can. I need to destroy Alex right now.”

 

* * *

 

They both shot upwards, slipping between the leaves and sending each other the occasional glance to be sure no one had fallen. John couldn’t remember the last time he’d moved quite so fast, maybe when they had to run a mile in gym class last year, but even then, he hadn’t felt this alive. Wind struck his cheeks the higher they went, wafting through his hair and tousling it. It was funny, really, they weren’t even that high up. John could remember going even farther in middle school, he and Hercules had reached the top once and had been able to see over the treetops and even the roof of Lafayette’s house. It had been incredible, John swore he could’ve flown.

They stopped about a third of the way up- Alex had started turning green. Not that John blamed him, the ground was a distant memory now and his head swam every time he looked down.

“Had enough yet?” He asked as they came to a stop on a sturdy looking branch.

Alex leaned back. They’d had to arrange themselves rather awkwardly to be sure neither fell, meaning John was at the base of the branch with Alex’s back pressed to his chest. It was nice, comfortable almost.

“Why? You tired, Laurens?”

John laughed, it was nice seeing Alex like this. Around most people, he tended to shut down in a way with clipped, automatic responses. But around his friends, he seemed to come alive, fighting back and laughing freely. He had a feeling there was time that Alex had always been like this and couldn’t help but wonder what had changed.

“Please,” he said. “You’re the one who’s about to fall out of the tree.”

Alex whipped his head back to glare at John, “am not.”

They wobbled slightly and John threw an arm out to keep Alex in place and the other to

brace himself.

“What’d I tell you?”

“That was _so_ your fault,” Alex muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and pressing his back closer to John, as though scared of falling again.

“Sure, ready to go back down now?”

John looked over the side, Lafayette and Hercules were on the ground, attempting to wave them down. He lifted a hand and motioned that they would be coming shortly. Alex glanced down as well, but shook his head.

“It’s too nice up here.”

“Laf looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.” He reasoned.

“When doesn’t he?”

“When we’re both safely on the ground.”

Alex hummed, “fair enough. We should come back here sometime.” He slid forward, allowing John to sit up.

“If you want.”  

He gripped the trunk as Alex got up and leapt to a lower spot, John followed soon after.

“I’m glad we came out here,” Alex told him. “It was a good idea.”

“Well, I did come up with it. What else woud you expect?”

They continued on in silence, both working not to misstep and risk falling. The journey down proved to be more difficult than going up, at least before, he had known where to put his feet, now he could only guess and hope not to meet air. Ahead - well, below - him, Alex was having the same problem, dropping down and hanging by his elbows while his feet dangled, searching for purchase.  

John dropped from the next branch and let himself fall, he was close to the ground now, with maybe fifteen feet between him and the earth. He wondered if this was how pilots felt after a long flight, to be so close to the ground again, but not yet able to touch it.

There was a crack. One that went as quickly as it came, the surface below him giving way to nothingness and, suddenly, the wind was rushing past his ears. John curled in on himself as he fell to the ground, arms crossed and legs tucked to his chest. He was tense and his mind whispered to relax, it made shots less painful, maybe the same was true for falling? Or maybe he was making things even worse.

John hit the ground with a dull thud and the world seemed to go quiet around him, or it had just been drowned out by the sudden buzzing in his ears? He wasn’t sure. Lafayette appeared above him, waving a dark hand over his eyes.

“John?” He seemed to be saying. Lafayette’s eyes were anxious and tears were brimming. Had John caused that?

Alex appeared next, falling from the sky and making a much more graceful landing than John had. He stumbled toward him the moment his feet met the ground.

“-you okay?” He was asking.

John nodded distantly, distracted the light that rained through the trees, framing Alex’s face in its glow. He looked pretty and John decided Alex should stand in the sun more often.

“-and your arm?” His voice came through again, clearer this time.

John blinked, then gasped. Pain exploded through his wrist, pulling him from his stupor. He cradled his arm to his chest and looked down. The skin was a yellowish color and was beginning to swell; it throbbed painfully.  

“What happened?” He asked Lafayette as Hercules pulled him to his feet.

“Herc and I were watching you, the branch collapsed beneath you.”

“Oh,” he said. “Now what?” He was still feeling a little dazed, but something told him it would likely be best to get help.

“We should find Martha,” Hercules decided. “She’s always been good at fixing our screw-ups.”

“Agreed, John,” Alex turned to him. “Can you make it back to the house? It’s not far.”

John nodded again, talking seemed beyond him right now. If he opened his mouth, he wasn’t certain of what would come out.

 

* * *

 

By the time they make it back inside, the fog in John’s head had cleared and he had, somehow, wound up on Hercules’ back (“he’s injured, I’m helping,” Hercules had claimed, though John had a feeling he just liked being able to cart his friends around like bags of flour), while Alex and Lafayette led the way through the woods and through the front door. Well, Alex had, as he’d said before Lafayette didn’t have the best sense of direction. They’d once managed to go in circles for three hours before finding themselves beside the highway at the other end of town.

John found himself seated at the kitchen table, Lafayette had wandered off in search of Martha and Alex had gone to get the first aid kit.

“I thought we went over this last time,” Hercules said, pulling up a chair. “You can’t keep falling out of trees, Laurens. It’s not good for you.”

“Really? Never would’ve guessed.”

“Seriously though, this is what, your second time?”

“It’s the same arm too, what luck.” John muttered, glaring down at his swollen wrist.

“Only you,” Hercules said. “It doesn’t look broken this time.”

The last time this had happened, John’s fall had been a much greater one and, while he’d gotten away fairly easily, he’d managed to break his arm. He didn’t remember the day well, but he’d ended up at the hospital with his mother laughing over how clumsy he’d been. It had been one of the last times she’d smiled so widely.

“Thank God, there’s no way I could deal with six weeks in a cast again.”

“And _I_ can’t deal with six more weeks of your complaining.”

“Then let’s hope it isn’t broken,” John turned. Martha was in the doorway, her arms filled with supplies Alex must have brought her.

“Let’s see what you’ve done this time dear,” she crossed the room, dumping the supplies across the table and gently taking John’s hand. Martha brought it close to her face and pressed her fingers against the bruises, frowning.

Well,” she said finally, taking a long strip of elastic wrapping and winding it round his wrist. “It doesn’t appear to be broken. I wouldn’t mind taking you to the hospital though, just to be safe.”

“No, no,” he said. “It’s not that bad, really.”

Martha looked at him strangely. John tried to avoid hospitals, they reminded him of his mom in her last moments, blood streaking her face as she lay already long gone in the ambulance. It didn’t help that his father hated going to them in general. Said it made no sense to go for check-ups when he already had a perfectly healthy kid. Hearing that John had sprained his wrist, _falling from a tree_ , no less, wouldn’t help his case. He’d only say that John shouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place, then tell him to deal with it on his own as punishment. Because, of course John would get in trouble for a complete accident.

But hearing that Martha had taken him? That would only spell trouble for them all. Henry wouldn’t take John himself, but to have someone else do so would be seen as the deepest offence. “He’s _my_ kid,” he would say. “I can take care of this myself.” Then he would go on to muttered angrily about bills and lack of funds (though, really, Henry didn’t seem to be lacking money).

“John, dear, this looks like it hurts. It’s no trouble to take you, I’d be more than happy to go,” Martha insisted.

“I’m okay, promise, I’ll tell my dad. He can take me, I wouldn’t want to be in the way.”

Martha watched John, her dark eyes large and doleful. Finally, she nodded. “Take this, at least. And I’ll be checking it for the next few weeks, are we clear?”

“Yes, thank you, ma’am.” Martha passed him a roll of bandages and a black brace. He couldn’t meet her eyes, not while knowing he’d never go to a doctor, would never even tell Henry about what had happened.

Though, deep down, John had a feeling Martha already knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in the original draft for this chapter, I was planning on breaking Alex's leg. But then I decided I'd been mean enough to him in the past few chapters and went with John, which works better down the road anyway. Poor John, but hey, he's taking the hit for Alex, so maybe he'd be okay with it? I think so.   
> Also, I hate to say this, but next week, I'm going to be starting school again next week (I know, ugh) and unfortunately, that means I'll have to cut down updates to Fridays only. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to be busy this year and won't be able to dedicate as much time to keep up with the chapters. Don't worry, I'll still post every week, just not as often. I'm really sorry!  
> Anyway, I'll be back Friday! I hope you enjoyed and please, keep commenting your own theories and ideas for the future of this story! I love reading them and wish I could respond more, but I'm always scared I'll give something away. I love hearing what you guys have to say! See you later!


	20. Chapter Twenty: Peggy Is Upset; Angelica Talks In Her Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News comes that sends the Schuyler sisters' worlds spinning.

Eliza felt like her world was tipping sideways. Her father had arrived not an hour ago and had immediately taken both Aunt Cassidy and Angelica aside, disappearing inside the office and leaving her and Peggy alone to wonder what they were discussing.

Beside her, Peggy’s knee bounced up and down, up and down. The motion was almost hypnotizing, watching the fabric of her jeans ripple as she moved.

“Why are they taking so long?” Peggy asked, straining to listen through the thick door that hid the rest of their family.

“This must be serious if Angelica is in there too,” she muttered.

“She better tell us everything later.”

“It’s Angelica,” Eliza said, “of course she will.”

Peggy stood and paced across the small living room. “Do you think this is about King?” Her dark eyes were wide and managed to convey every single emotion running through her sister’s head: worry, fear, pain. But most of all: curiousity. Eliza wondered if she looked the same.

She glanced around, they were alone and likely would be for a while yet.

Eliza had seen her fall into dark moods many times in her life, but when her father had come in just an hour earlier, his footsteps had banged like rain against a tin roof and his frown cast a shadow over the room. There was hardly a word said and Angelica and Aunt Cassidy had followed him, gazes grim.

Eliza stood and made her way across the room kneeling beside the office door.

“‘Liza?” Peggy asked, tilting her head. “What’re you-”

Eliza raised a finger to her lips and waved Peggy over. She gave a small _oh_ of realization and scurried over. Together, they fell on their knees and pressed their ears against the door.  

Angelica was speaking, “this is ridiculous. Go to the police, _show them_ what’s happening.”

Silence, she and Peggy exchanged a glance.

“The last thing this family needs is more publicity, dear.” Their father replied, voice tired.  
“ _No_ ,” A foot stamped. “ _The last thing this family needs_ is for one of _my_ sisters to turn up missing because of _your_ pride.”

“ _Angelica_ ,” Aunt Cassidy said, sounding appalled.

“This is more than a matter of pride. I don’t expect you to understand, Angelica, I expect you to tell your sisters and get packed.” There was sigh, “we leave tomorrow.”

A chair scraped across the floorboards and Eliza and Peggy scrambled away just as a fuming Angelica stepped out. The door slammed behind her and without a word, she led the way into their bedroom.

 

* * *

 

 

Angelica pulled a suitcase from under the bed and yanked open her dresser. They were silent for a long moment.

Finally, she spoke, “I know you heard most of that...I wasn’t exactly quiet.”

“So...We’re moving, then?” Peggy asked, her voice soft.

Angelica nodded and shoved clothing into the case. “He’s being a coward, so worried about his reputation, doesn’t seem to realize it’s dangerous anywhere we go,” she was muttering.

“Did you tell him about the letter?” Eliza fished the paper from her drawer where they had been hiding it for the past few weeks.

“Didn’t need to, he told me everything the second I walked in.”

“And we leave tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah we do. He didn’t even say where we’re going. Honestly, he thinks he can _order_ us to do whatever he wants; we’re not serving girls, we’re his daughters.”

“He mentioned moving out by Alex awhile back.” Eliza said, folding a soft blue T-shirt and placing it in her own bag.

“That’s one thing to look forward to.” Peggy said. She hadn’t started packing yet, instead sitting on Eliza’s bed, legs swinging.

“Start packing, Pegs. We don’t have long and you’ve got a ton of trinkets to put away.”

“They’re _action figures_ , Ange, get it right.” But she stood, plucked a Spider Man from the shelf and stuck it in her backpack.

A heaviness settled over the room, Eliza had lived in the city her whole life, leaving now just felt...Wrong. She had grown used to the constant noise outside her window, to the lights shining in the dead of night, even to blaring car horns at six in the morning. How was she supposed to live anywhere else?

There was silence, only the rustle of clothing and clatter of toys as they fell into bags could be heard. Their father had disappeared somewhere with Aunt Cassidy, probably to look for a house, if he hadn’t found one already. It would be a nicer place than here, she already knew. With enough bedrooms for all of them, her father always insisted on living extravagantly, he had the money, so why not? But that meant Eliza would have her own room, one away from her sisters, maybe even so far as the other end of the house. It wouldn’t be like it is now, with the three of them crammed into one bedroom, a bunk bed for her and Angelica, while Peggy’s was shoved against the far wall. Eliza would have to cross the hall just to speak to her sisters about a bad day at school instead of calling from her bunk. And school, she would be starting completely anew, no one would know her. No one would hate her...Maybe this wouldn’t be entirely bad?

She heard Peggy sniffle, never mind. “How can he uproot our entire lives because of his stupid rivalry with that English law freak?” She asked, shoving a Batman in the bag.

“I know,” was all Angelica said.

“Maybe you can make a few friends there, Peggy?”

She gave a bitter laugh, “easy for you to say, Eliza. You already _have_ friends there. This is a new start for you, so don’t act like you aren’t excited.”

“Peggy,” Angelica said. “Cut it out, we’re all upset. The last thing we need is to turn on each other.”

“But she-”

“ _Peggy_ ,” Angelica’s eyes were sharp, daring her to object.

Peggy scowled, but offered up a quick “sorry,” before turning back to her bed and gathering together a small pile of books.

 

* * *

 

 

They finished packing all too quickly. The room felt bare, posters had been torn from the walls and their bags were stacked by the door. No one wanted to say a thing, instead, Eliza sat with her sisters in the center of the room, as though holding a silent protest against their father, as if to say _you did this._

Eliza was on her back, watching the gentle turn of the fan. Angelica was to her right and Peggy her left, their feet tangled together. She was pretty sure Angelica had fallen asleep.

“Hey, ‘Liza,” Peggy mumbled.

“Hmm?”

“Sorry ‘bout earlier. Didn’t mean to snap.”

“You were stressed, we all are, don’t worry about it.”

Silence, the fan clicked overhead.

“Is King really gonna hurt us?”

Eliza tore her eyes from the ceiling and let her cheek rest against the carpet, watching Peggy.

“He’d have to find us first. That’s the point of moving, isn’t it?”

“Guess so…” Another pause; another click. “I just wanna go home. I wanna see Mom.”

Their mother had been staying with a friend with their younger siblings for a while now in an attempt to keep the younger kids out of the spotlight, meaning Eliza hadn’t seen her mother in some months now, save for the occasional visit. But with the move, she wasn’t sure how often they would see each other.

And as for Peggy, who had always been the most affectionate of the Schuyler children...Eliza could only imagine what this was like for her.

“So do I,” she whispered and reached for her sister’s hand.

“I wonder how Corny and Phil are doing?”  

Cornelia and Philip, named for his father, were the youngest of the Schuylers, it had been ages since Eliza had last seen them.

“They must be getting so big,” Peggy said, her eyes were drooping

“Corny’s off to kindergarten...We missed her first day of school.”

“Mom missed my first day of high school.” Peggy wasn’t looking at her now, but Eliza noticed the way her eyes glittered in the light, a tear tracing its way down her cheek.

“I was there,” she said. “So was Angelica,” she cast a glance toward her sleeping sister, “surely that counts for something.”

“It does,” Peggy says. “The Schuyler sisters, together till the end, right?”

“Always.”

“Together!” They sat up to see Angelica mumbling in her sleep, hand in the air, a small smile playing on her lips. Her arm fell against her chest and Angelica was silent again. She’d always been a sleeptalker.

Peggy snorted, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. “That’s that, then. You ready for bed?” She nodded, “we’ll just leave her there.”

Eliza took a blanket and draped it over her sister before climbing under her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now I can bring the sisters around more, yay! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading, see you next Friday!


	21. Chapter Twenty One: Hercules Learns A Secret; Alex Is Confused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John has a confession to make and Alex is confused.

If Hercules had to hazard a guess, he’d say John never went to the hospital. The next day at school, he arrived tired and aching. No one was surprised by this, they all knew what Henry was like, but that didn’t stop the worry that settled deep in his stomach.

Lately, it seemed like Hercules’ friends were falling apart faster than ever. Even before Alexander had arrived, the three of them had always been a tad dysfunctional, but what friend group wasn’t? What with a French adoptee with an affinity for his new home in America, an artist with more freckles than stars in the sky, and, according to Lafayette, a giant, human teddy bear. Add Alex to the mix and passerby would question just how the four had come to be. Not that Hercules minded, he loved his friends above all else, why else would he put up skipping class to meet a panicked John in the library?

He walked the crowded halls, pushing past a group of girls as they giggled over an image on one of their phones, sights set on the double doors just ahead of him. He’d received a text from John at the end of his last hour, asking to meet him in the library. This alone had been enough to put Hercules on edge, usually any and all that had to be said could be said on the group chat between with Lafayette and Alex, it was rare for a message like this to be sent to only one of them. It didn’t help how urgent John had sounded, even through text, the anxiety surrounding John had managed to bleed through and spill onto his fingers.

He pushed into the library, immediately spotting John seated at a table in the corner, behind a shelf marked for biographies. He spotted one covering the lives of the Founding Fathers as he passed, there had been a certain enamor spreading about them lately, but he wasn’t sure quite why. Something about music?

He pulled out the seat across John and sat, pulling out his assigned reading for Language Arts, if he had to be here, he was going to get some work done.

“All right, John,” he said when he finally looked up. “What’s going on?”

John was fidgeting in his seat, one resting over his wrist, massaging the bruised area, brace cast to the side for the moment. “I need to talk to you, but don’t freak out, okay?”

Hercules frowned, he hadn’t heard John sound so serious in ages, not since the first time he’d left the house after a fight with Henry. He tried for a laugh, “jeez, John, you make it sound like you’re dying.”

John’s eyebrows furrowed, “I’m serious, Herc. I’m going to tell you something and you’re not going to interrupt until I’m finished.”

They locked eyes and for the first time, Hercules noticed how tired John was, his eyes were red with dark circles beneath them, his normally tan skin a shade paler than normal. Concern welled up and took root in his chest. “Okay, you’ve got my attention,” he promised. “Care to tell me what’s going on now?”

A beat of silence, a single breath, and John began. “It’s my dad.” _When isn’t it?_ He wanted to say. “He’s been worse than normal, I-I think he did something. Something bad.”

“Bad? Like what?”

John leaned across the table and Hercules followed suit, wonder drawing him in. John’s voice came as a harsh whisper, as though any louder would knock the walls down around them. “My father is a killer and I think he plans to strike again.”

 

* * *

 

Alex could tell something was up. It was lunchtime and he sat beside Lafayette, both of them sharing bewildered glances at both John and Hercules, who had come to the table looking grim. When asked what was wrong, John had simply said they had been assigned a long essay in their History class. Normally, Alex would have taken this answer without much thought, he knew Hercules and John both loathed writing more than a few paragraphs. But neither John nor Hercules had History until _after_ lunch, and he knew they didn’t have it together because Lafayette had told him repeatedly that he and Hercules sat beside each and liked to pass notes during that hour.

But, despite the questions that threatened to spill out every time he opened his mouth, Alex didn’t mention these inconsistencies and Lafayette did the same. He had a feeling they’d talk about it later.

“I can _not_ wait for the weekend to get here,” Hercules was saying between bites of hamburger.

“Why?” Lafayette asked. “So you can ignore the increasing pressure of the homework until Sunday night?”

“You do that too, Laf, don’t even lie.”

“Pretty sure that’s common practice with students,” John said. He was twirling a spoon between his fingers, but had yet to eat the food in front of him. “Unless you’re Alex, who finishes the work before it’s even assigned.”

“Hey!” He cried, feigning indignance.

“Alexander, please, you know it is true.” Lafayette said.

“Whatever,” he muttered. “So, are we hanging out this weekend?” Since the school year had started, they had made time every weekend to hang out, usually going to Theo’s Place or staying at the Washington’s for the day and most times the night as well. It was only Wednesday, but they liked to plan ahead.

“Not this weekend,” John said. His eyes flickered to Hercules. “I’ve got plans.”

“Since when?” Lafayette looked first at John, then to Hercules, who offered no explanation.

“Since my dad has company coming and wants me to clean around the house,” he said, finally shoving a spoonful of peas in his mouth.

“Company? Who?”

“Business associates, he’s working on closing some deal and wants to impress them.”

“Would it not be better if you were out of the house then? I’m sure he would rather not have distractions.” Lafayette said, he pushed his empty plate to the side and watched John carefully. Alex did the same. John had never been one to pass up an opportunity to get out of his house. Why was now any different?

“He wants me to listen in, says I should get a feel for what I’ll be doing when I get older.” John let out a bitter laugh. “Like I’ll actually go into business one day. Could you see me in a suit?”

Well, actually, he could. And, while it was a nice image, now didn’t seem the time to bring it up.  

“I think they get the point,” Hercules said. “We can hang out another time. As Lafayette so kindly pointed out, I’ve got a ton of homework to catch up on anyway.”

Lunch went on without incident after that, they discussed classes, John choked on a pea, and soon enough, Alex and John were walking side by side to algebra.

They took their seats behind the boy Jefferson had been talking to on the first day- James Madison. They’d spoken a few times and, despite his choice in friends, he seemed okay. Poor judgement perhaps, but overall a good person.

At their arrival, James turned in his seat, resting his elbows on the edge of Alexander’s desk. “Morning,” he said as Alex and John took their seats.

“It’s one in the afternoon, James,” Alex said, letting his book drop with a heavy thud in front of him.

“Afternoon then, I’m not picky.”

“We’ve noticed, did you finish the homework?” John asked.

“Of course, did you?”

Alex noticed John bite his lip and resisted the urge to laugh, “totally.” Liar.

“Uh-huh…” James turned to Alex. “I already know you did, so I won’t bother asking. But could you figure out sixteen?”

He nodded and leafed through the pages of his packet until he found the question. He leaned toward James and went on to explain the problem. John watched them, slightly confused, he’d admitted to Alex on several occasions that math had never been his strong suit and they’d spend several nights working through their homework together.

Several minutes later, James nodded his thanks and turned away. Beside him, John was smirking.

“Nerd,” he said, chuckling.

“At least I got the work done on time,” Alex replied.

John put a hand to his heart, eyes widening dramatically. “Alexander, was that a hint of sass I heard? _In public_?”

Alex tried to busy himself with the papers in front of him, hiding the small grin on his lips, “it’s been known to happen.”

“Not with you,” John said, trapping Alex’s eyes with his own. “Not ever.”

“Just because you’ve never seen it, doesn’t mean it’s impossible, John.”

“Oh, I know,” he said, unlike Alex, he didn’t try to hide the grin stretching across his face. “I’m glad...You should do it more often.”

Their teacher walked into the room and called his classmates to attention. “Maybe I will,” he muttered.

The lesson droned on, but Alex found his attention drifting from the board and to John, who looked about as distracted as Alex felt. There was a pencil between his fingers and Alex found himself gnawing on the eraser.

He wanted to talk to John, to find out what was going on. Yeah, life between the four of them had been weird for a few weeks now, but today felt like things had come to a head when his back had been turned. But what was it? What had happened, who had said what and to who? And when?

What was going on?

 

* * *

 

Hercules waited outside the building, watching as the buses pulled away. Lafayette and Alex had left just minutes ago with a promise from Lafayette to call later. John would be out any second, he’d promised to further explain what he’d brought up that morning.

John’s confession had been weighing on Hercules’ mind all day, preying on his thoughts all throughout class and dashing any hopes of getting his work done. He’d always had his suspicions toward Henry Laurens, of course. Who wouldn’t? He’d seen the way John was treated under that man’s roof and didn’t have a hard time believing him capable of doing what John suggested.

Speaking of, John rounded the corner now, meeting Hercules and leaning beside him.

“This feels pretty underhanded, John. Alex and Laf deserve to know about this.”

John’s arms went around his chest, he looked guilty, just slightly. “They will, promise. Laf already knows what I told you, he’s the one who wanted me to tell you in the first place.”

He watched as a bus passed, he could see Lafayette in the window, chattering excitedly to Alex about something Hercules couldn’t hear. “And Alex?”

John wasn’t so quick to answer this time, instead shifting uncorfortably and sliding down to rest in the grass. “I’ll tell him just...Not yet.”

Hercules joined him, “why not?”

“He’s got enough going on, this would only worry him more.”

“We’ve all got a lot going on, John. You’re living with a murderer for god’s sake, I think Alex can take it.”

John scowled and looked away, elbows resting on his knees, his head balanced between them. Hercules thought he looked like that of a toddler being told no for the first time. “Are you coming Sunday or not?”

He sighed, briefly wondering what it was he signed up for when befriending John Laurens. “Of course, not like I can let you go off and do something this stupid on your own. You said that Laf was coming too?”

“Should be, I need to text him later.”

“Just don’t get us killed, got it? I’ll see you soon.” Hercules pulled himself to his feet, his mom’s van had just pulled up.

“When have I ever gotten us hurt?” John asked, smirking.

“You literally just fell out of a tree, John.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are really starting to pick up and I feel like I'm dumping a lot of information all at once? I don't know, if it feels like things are feeling a little too fast paced, could you let me know, please? The next few chapters are pretty plot heavy and I don't want to publish anything too dense, ya know? I mean, before now everything was revealed pretty slowly. But I guess that was because not as much was known yet in the way of what all is happening with John and Alex and all that. I don't know, I don't have a beta reader of any kind, so it's hard for me to tell from time to time if I'm doing okay. But yeah, just let me know, please!  
> Anyway, sorry this is up so late tonight, I started school again on Wednesday and I'm so tired that I nearly forgot to post! Anyway, see you next week, hope you enjoyed!


	22. Chapter Twenty Two: Lafayette Can’t Sleep; Alex Is Happy (Mostly)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex spends some time with the Washingtons and has a few realizations.

When Alex got home, the first thing he did was call Eliza. She’d told him the night before about the move had been texting him all day as she and her family made their way to town. She was supposed to have arrived a few hours ago, but without the address and the ever present knowledge of his reading assignment weighing down his backpack the entire way home - because, despite what his friends believed, Alex _did_ have homework from time to time - he hadn’t been able to stop by.

The phone rang once, twice. Three times.

By the eighth ring, he was was sent to voicemail and Alex tossed the phone to his side, frowning. He knew she was mostly likely busy unpacking, or maybe they weren’t even in town yet, but he always worried when it came to Eliza.

Back when they had still gone to school together, it had only been them against everyone else. Sure, Angelica had done her part, screaming at whoever came too close to them, but her presence only ever did so much. Eventually, she had to leave and the two of them were on their own again. They had worked well together, though, Alex coming to Eliza’s aid when needed and vice versa more times than he cared count. One of the scariest moments of coming to the Washington’s had been realizing he would be leaving Eliza behind.

From its spot on his desk, he heard a woman’s monotonous voice instructing him to leave a message after the tone and hung up. He’d just text her later, she was bound to be exhausted anyway.

Left with nothing to do, Alex was tempted to go see Lafayette. But remembered that he had been planning to call Hercules. He tried not to bother them too much during those times, from what he’d heard from John, Lafayette had a tendency to be more flirty during these times- or any time the two were alone, really. Whether Lafayette did this on purpose or not, Alex wasn’t sure, but he tried to let them have their space.

So, instead Alex crept from his room and padded through the hallway and into the living room. He knew Martha was out, her job usually kept her late at least once a week. But Washington was around somewhere, his study most likely. He always came home around the same time he and Lafayette did and was there to greet them at the door- a practice that had shocked Alex at first. Nathaniel had never done that before, not once.

That combined with every single favor Washington had done for him in the past months, one would think Alex would be more comfortable around the man, but it felt like quite the opposite. Anytime Alex found himself within close proximity of Washington, his throat tended to close up and his mind would suddenly find a reason to be as far away as possible.

It wasn’t so much that he didn’t like Washington, actually, he was so, so grateful for all he had done for Alex. No, it was more the way Washington acted, the way he had so easily accepted that Alex was a part of his family, had offered to take him in without a second thought- he hadn’t even consulted Martha first, he’d just done it. Alex could remember all too well how difficult it had been to convince Nathaniel to let him stay there after first coming to America, could remember how easily his father had left so many years ago. A part of Alex kept expecting Washington to turn, to reveal some vicious side he had yet to see.

As of yet, that hadn’t happened and showed no signs to in the near future.

So, Alex reasoned, rounding the corner, maybe it wasn’t fair of him to avoid the man who had helped him so much, but he had his own reasons, and someday he’d work them out, but for now, he just wanted to finish his homework and get ahold of Eliza.

The book was heavy in his fingers as he wandered into the living room, the TV had been left on but Alex paid it no mind as he curled up in the corner of the sofa and let his eyes drift across the page.

It was about twenty minutes later when he heard footsteps enter the room, nearly sending Alex’s heart into overdrive as the channel suddenly switched, causing his background noise to go from some scifi drama to an overly cheery opening title sequence.

His head snapped up and a small gasp escaped his lips as he realized he was no longer alone. Washington himself had settled in the recliner and was flicking absentmindedly through the TV guide. But at Alex’s start, he looked up, seeming surprised.

“Sorry,” he said. “Did I startle you?”

Alex shut his book- To Kill A Mockingbird, he’d read it a few years ago, but enjoyed going through it again. He set it to the side and shook his head. “No...I thought I was alone, is all.”

Washington hummed and placed the remote on his armrest. “I didn’t want to interrupt, you seemed busy.”

“I’ve read it before.”

“You’re a fan, then?”

Alex nodded, tucking the book at his side, he was doing well for once, he hadn’t run yet. “Absolutely, have you read it?”

“Of course, I think most people in the U.S. have by now, it’s required reading, right?”

Alex felt his face go red, obviously he’d read it, Who hadn’t? Like Washington said, it was _required_.

“I liked it quite a lot though, very true to the times.”

Alex felt the familiar bubble of anxiety close around his throat and they lapsed into silence, just as they always did. Washington didn’t seem to mind, though. He only took the remote again, flipping through until giving up and staying on the show it had been on before.

He went back to his book, managing to block out the noise and get through the next chapter. He was nearing the end of the story and already was planning out the paper he’d have to write about it later. Washington didn’t speak, nor did Alex. It was peaceful, in a way, to simply _exist_ without having to worry about whether or not he’d have to clean up whatever mess was being made later.

Eventually, Lafayette wandered in as well, planting himself on the couch and letting his head rest at Alex’s feet. His hair pillowed beneath his head and tickled Alex’s legs, he tried to swipe it away, but found the curls only sprang back into place each time.

“I tried tying it back,” Lafayette told him. “It refused.”

Soon, Alex got tired of reading, or rather _Lafayette_ got tired of watching him read and snapped the cover shut.     

“You are plenty ahead, Alexander. Watch TV with us.”

Alex frowned, but slipped a bookmark between the pages and placed it on the coffee table. “I was almost done, you know.”

“You’re always _almost done_ , it can wait.”

“Sure, just move your hair,” he muttered.

“If I can ignore it everyday, you can ignore it for a half hour.”

“So you’re only trapping me here for thirty minutes?”

Lafayette glanced over at him, letting his voice drop to a whisper, apparently so Washington couldn’t hear. “Or until Hercules calls me back.”

“You know,” Washington said. “I can hear you two.”

Lafayette’s dark cheeks went darker, coloring themselves a deep crimson. “Oh,” he said, slowly turning away to face the couch. Alex stifled a laugh and briefly wondered what it would be like to live life like this everyday? To lie on the couch instead of spending countless hours worrying over whether he would make it through the night or if his body would be found cold and motionless the next morning, eyes empty. He shivered, the thought of Lafayette, the one who had mistakenly called him brother in a moment of sheer terror, finding him like that. It would wreck him. But then he thought of the way they were now, and grinned. From the first day, Lafayette had sworn to help Alex however he could, had stood up to Lee when he even _suggested_ he go back to Nevis. They’d barely known each other, but he’d planted himself at Alex’s side and hadn’t budged since- he kinda loved it.  

Lafayette had tugged Alex down beside him, their heads knocking slightly against each other as his feet dangled over the armrest. Not the most comfortable of positions, but Lafayette didn’t seem to care, keeping his eyes trained on the cushion, deliberately keeping his gaze away from Washington. Apparently if Lafayette was embarrassed, Alex had to be too.

“You know he can still see us, right?” He said quietly, feeling Washington’s gaze on their backs.

Lafayette didn’t respond, only huffed and burrowed deeper into the cushions.

They stayed that way for a long while. Behind him, Alex could hear Washington chuckle from time to time and wondered if this had been a normal occurrence before Alex had arrived. Had Lafayette hidden like this before after saying something humiliating? Had Washington let him, amused all the while? And, somehow, Alex had managed to worm his way into the routine, or rather, Lafayette had yanked him in and refused to let him crawl back out. Not that he minded. Despite nearly dying half the time, Alex’s life was more peaceful than it had been in years and he found he didn’t want to give that up, even if he was a little awkward.  

It was the middle of the night. So why was Alex awake again? He’d been doing better lately, most nights being able to fall asleep by ten and, usually, stayed that way until morning.

Why was tonight different?

His first thought was to check the window, to find those eyes again. But when he pulled the curtains away and peered into the night, the lawn was empty, as was the road. Alex let the curtain fall back into place and stepped back. Nothing appeared to have fallen over either, the books along his shelf were still in the precarious stack he’d left them. His backpack was still in the chair, folders peeking out, but not in danger of moving.

But Alex was _sure_ he’d heard something, how else could he be awake? He couldn’t recall any dreams and he hadn’t fallen off the bed like he had that time Lafayette stole all the blankets and kicked Alex in his sleep. The resulting crash had been enough to startle them both awake.

There was no crash, though, not tonight. His room was silent and the lights were out, just as he had left it hours ago.

Except, it wasn’t silent, was it? No, there was a low murmur, not from his room, but...Lafayette’s? It had to be, Washington and Martha’s room was farther down and neither, as far as he knew, had a secret French accent.

Alex opened his door a crack, slowly letting it swing open- it had a tendency to creak. The hall was empty, but light spilled across the floor, coming from Lafayette’s room. He shuffled closer, his footsteps muffled against the thick carpet.

Faintly, he could hear mumbling from inside and raised a fist to tap against the wood. Alex heard the voice pause and knocked again.

“Come-come in.”

Inside, the bedroom was just as he had last seen it: Blinds tightly drawn shut, bed made, and a book left open on the desk. Lafayette was pacing back and forth, brows furrowed. He stopped as Alex entered, a hand lifted to his hair, fingers tangled in his curls.  

“Laf,” he called softly.

“Alexander, did I wake you?”

He stepped fully into the room, “I thought I heard talking. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I couldn’t sleep, is all. Go back to sleep”

He frowned and ignored the order, “you sounded worried.”

“With our John acting the way he is, how can I not be?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” he kept his voice low, Martha and Washington were still sleeping, after all. “What’s been going on? You guys have seemed a little...Tense around each other.”

“I wouldn-”

“And don’t try to tell me you haven’t been, because Hercules noticed too. What haven’t you been telling us?”

Lafayette dropped his hand to his side, looking defeated. “I-I cannot tell you.”

“Why not?”  

“I promised John.”

“So you guys are keeping secrets now?” Alex muttered, immediately wishing he hadn’t. Lafayette’s face fell and he sank onto his bed.

“Laf, I didn’t-”

“ _Non,_ you are right. Life has been strained recently, has it not?” He patted the spot beside him and Alex obliged. “It is not my place to say, but John and I are not fighting, we just had a minor disagreement a while ago.”

“Over what?”

His foster brother - could Alex call him that? Lafayette did, but was he allowed to as well? - looked older than he had hours earlier. Dark circles had settled beneath his eyes, purple and angry. Meanwhile, his fingernails had been chewed close to the skin, a habit Alex noticed he picked up when especially stressed. What was so bad that Lafayette couldn’t tell him? He was one of - if not the _most_ \-  honest person Alex knew, this tiff between John and him had to be serious.

“As I said, I cannot tell you; John should.”

“So John’s keeping secrets.”

“We _all_ keep secrets, Alexander. I seem to remember you having several as well.” At what he assumed was a look of shock spreading across Alex’s face, Lafayette continued. “It is okay to keep secrets, Alexander. But I _am_ trying to convince him to come clean. You must understand though...This was not his fault, do not be angry with him.”

“What? Why would I be mad at John? He hasn’t done anything.” Alex asked. John wasn’t lying to him- right?

“Exactly. John has done nothing, he is trying to help.”

Alex shifted uncomfortably, “you’re sounding _awfully_ cryptic here, Laf. Wanna elaborate?”

" _N_ _on._ ”

Well. “Okay, then,” he muttered.

“I want to, Alex. Really, I do.”

“But you can’t.”

“ _Oui_ . Talk to John, that is all I can say.”   
“What am I even supposed to tell him? That I know he’s keeping some big, bad secret and I demand he tell me?”

“Maybe not so aggressively, but along those lines, yes.”

Alex stood, stuffing the building frustration in his chest deep down before it could rear its head at Lafayette. More than it already had, that is.

“I’m going back to sleep,” he decided. “I’ll talk to John...Thanks for telling me, it explains a lot.”

“Goodnight,” Lafayette said, then hesitated. “You should tell him about the accident, as well. I think he would like to hear about it.”

He stopped, glanced back at Lafayette, didn’t respond. Alex only nodded and returned to his bedroom. He curled under the covers, already feeling sleep tugging him under. What was John hiding? And why should he bring up the accident? He hadn’t even known John then, it had nothing to do with him. Did it?

There were more secrets among his friends than Alex had thought. But Lafayette was right, _everyone_ had one- or a dozen. But if he was asking Alex to keep his cool, he had to wonder.

Just what skeletons did John have in his closet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So sorry this is late (it's like, 10:30 here, whoops), it's been a pretty busy week and I'm so frickin' tired, I just wanna curl up with a cat and pass out for the next day or so. Anyway, this chapter is kinda all over the place? But like, plot stuff happens and I don't have time to rewrite it, so hopefully it's still okay.  
> Oh well, thanks so much for reading, see you next Friday!


	23. Chapter Twenty Three: Philip Makes Bad Choices; Martha Is Angry About Said Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George and Martha pay a visit to Philp Schuyler and aren't happy with all he has to say.

“The house is lovely, Philip,”  Martha was saying, glancing around the finely decorated dining room.

Nothing but the best for his girls, George thought, shifting in the cushioned seat. Unless, of course, the best included calling the police and reporting death threats from a business rival. He didn’t say this aloud, though, Philip Schuyler looked tired enough as it was, without George’s opinions. He sat with a stiff posture, as always, George wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the man slouch, but his forehead had gained several more creases, and his eyes revealed an exhaustion that bled into Philip’s voice when he spoke.

“Thank you, Martha, I look forward to seeing yours someday soon. Eliza was talking all night about how excited she was to see Alexander and his friends. She speaks the world of that boy, you know.”

“As does Alexander, he says he was quite close to Eliza before and still is now.” George said. And it was true, if he wasn’t with Hercules, John, or Lafayette, then there was rarely a moment Alexander wasn’t in contact with Eliza. At first there had been the letters, the ones he had snuck to the dinner table and worked with Lafayette on when they thought George and Martha were too absorbed in their conversation to notice. Then came the cell phone, and suddenly Alexander’s fingers were flying across the screen faster than George had thought the boy could move.

“And for that I’m glad.” Philip told them. “I know the move - as sudden as it was - was hard for Eliza. All of them, really. What with Angelica in her senior year and Peggy just starting high school, this is the last thing I wanted for them.”

“I can imagine,” Martha said coldly. Before coming, Martha had told George repeatedly how strongly she disapproved of Philip’s choice. Yes, she was relieved the girls were safe. Yes, she was happy to have Alex’s friends so close by. But _no_ , she wasn’t content with how their father blatantly ignored the threats to begin with. (“ _A good father would go to the police the moment his daughter’s were in danger,_ ” she insisted. “ _Not run and hide like a coward._ ”)

Her anger showed through now, arms crossed over her chest and her thin lips set into the barest of frowns. _Change the topic_ , his mind whispered.  

“And you’ve been settling in well?” He asked. “I know it’s a big change to go from the city life to such a quiet town.” Not that things were quiet these days, not with Alex and Lafayette in the same house, not with a killer on the loose, but George decided it wouldn’t be very neighborly to mention that.   

“Absolutely, I almost thought I’d gone deaf the first night, no horns blaring outside my window or neighbors stomping around on the floor above us.”

“Oh, dear,” Martha turned to him, her frosty demeanor melting just slightly. “Do you remember those first days when Alex got here?” She glanced at Philip. “He was so shocked- said he hadn’t been somewhere so quiet in years!”

“The girls never have been. Peggy walked into my office just yesterday, telling me how much quieter she could play her music now, not that she would, but she could..”

George allowed himself to lean back in his seat as Martha and Philip chatted. Confrontation had been avoided for now, there was peace. Maybe it wouldn’t last forever, but it would long enough.

But, really, George had to wonder if moving wasn’t the best thing for everyone, threats or no. He’d heard Alex telling his friends more than once about what life had been like at his old school and occasionally at home - George had decided quickly that it was a good thing Nathaniel was already dead - and the memories were bleak. While Alex - and by extension, his friends - dealt with rumors and aggressors at Independence High, at least he wasn’t quite so alone. From what it seemed, it had been Alex and Eliza back in the city, facing the likes a boy named Jefferson and his taunts. Apparently, that same boy had also transferred to the school and was causing trouble, what was the luck?

“It’s a change, but I think they’ll be happy here. Alex practically ran to meet Eliza this morning,” George said. He reached out and sipped the remnants of long cold tea. He bit back a gag, Philip always added too much sugar for his liking.

“I noticed,” Philip agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited.”

“Never?” Martha looked across the table curiously, she’d been wanting to know more about life with Nathaniel for ages, but Alex seemed keen on providing as little information as possible and Lafayette refused to mention anything he knew Alex wanted to keep to himself- which was everything when it came to George.

“Oh, no. I remember he used to be one of the loudest boys I knew, talking back to that cousin of his and always watching out for my Eliza. That all stopped after the accident, of course, but I suppose that’s to be expected.” Phillip took a long sip of his tea, eyes flitting casually about the room, not seeming to realize the bomb he’d just let drop.

George glanced toward his wife, Martha had all but pinned Philip to the wall with the stare she’d fixed him with.

He cleared his throat, “accident?” He tried to keep his voice level and wondered if they could hear the distinct crack in it. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Philip’s brows lifted in surprise and he placed to delicate glass on the table; a tiny thing that felt miniscule in George’s fingers. “The car accident, of course. It couldn’t have been more than a year ago, Peggy told me all about it maybe two weeks after it happened. Can’t say I know all the details, but if I remember, Peggy said Alex had been fighting - again - with that cousin of his and they ran straight into another car; killed the driver and left the passenger pretty banged up as well.”

“But Alex was okay?” Martha asked, leaning forward as one would after hearing their foster child had been a some horrible accident they’d never known of.

“Physically, yes. He didn’t talk much after that though. I always figured he was guilty over it all.”

That...Explained a lot, actually. Guilt led people to do strange things, some shut down completely.. Others went silent after being in an argument that aided in a fatal car crash. But guilt passed, it had to or else they would spend every waking minute trapped in the past.

“Did he ever speak to the survivors? See how they were, make closure maybe?”

Philip  shook his head, “I’m not even sure his cousin let him see if they were okay. I’ve got a feeling he took off the second the cars collided, and drug Alexander along for the ride.”

“That’s awful,” Martha said, fingers flying to her mouth. “But how do you know so much if Nathaniel ran for it?”

“Peggy tends to forget how loud she can be and, well, walls were only so thick.”

“You mentioned one of the passengers survived, how do you know?”

“Eliza mentioned it, said she was relieved the boy had survived, I didn’t hear much after that.” Philip had told the story in a manner more casual than George thought appropriate considering the topic, but found his demeanor to be the least of his concerns. He’d known Alex had had a...Difficult upbringing. He’d seen his file, knew about the hurricane, his mother. If this accident wasn’t listed, then George had a feeling Philip was right, they had been long gone by the time help arrived for the other car.

George didn’t say anything as Philip stood, pouring himself another glass of tea in that ridiculously tiny cup and strode about the room, a hand dangling loosely from the pocket of his dress pants.

He took a long sip, before turning on his heel to face George and Martha again. He glanced at his watch, shining and silver. “School will be letting out soon, I’ll have to be going, Angelica insisted we finish unpacking tonight.”

Martha stood, smoothing the creases from her skirt. “Of course, we’ll need to be starting dinner, as it is.”

“I’ll be sure to bring the girls by sometime soon,” Philip begins to usher them toward the front hall, as though sensing the shift in mood.

“We’d love to have them, Philip,” Martha said. They stepped into the rapidly cooling air and Philip leaned against the doorframe. A tree sprawled overhead, colorful branches drooping.

“I’m sure Eliza would love that.”

Philip watched as they made their way to the car, disappearing inside only once George had ducked into the driver’s seat and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.

“That was...Informative,” Martha said as they pulled away.

“He never mentioned any of this, how could he not mention this? How could _Lafayette_ not say anything? He had to have known.”

Martha frowned, “you know Lafayette. He’s not one to tell someone else’s secrets, especially his friends.”

“People were _killed_ , Martha. These are the things we need to know about.” George jerked the wheel to the left and pulled onto the main road.

“Philip said only the driver died and you know as well as I do that Alexander is still nervous around us, you especially. If you want to know these things, it may be a good idea to actually _speak_ to him.”

“I have!” He cried, but knew Martha was onto something.

“Have you? George, I know you’ve tried, but clearly it isn’t enough if something like this is being kept from us.”

George tightened his grip on the wheel, “I don’t remember Lafayette being so difficult.”

“And that’s just it,” Martha muttered. “He’s _not_ Lafayette, he’s Alexander, try to remember that.”

They pulled into the driveway, the bus had yet to drop the boys off. He sighed, “I know, I know. They’re nothing alike. Do you think Alex told him about this?”

A click and Martha was climbing out of the car. George followed. “Of course, Lafayette has always been good with digging up the truth. I’ve no doubt he knows by now.”

“I’ll talk to him,” George decided. “Maybe he just needs someone to talk to.”

Martha looked over at him uncertainly as they stepped inside. “Are you sure that’s the best idea? He hasn’t come to you before, George. Is it a good idea to force yourself in now?”

“Someone needs to, I know he’s close to John and the other boys, but this is different.” _Maybe this is a way in_ , he added silently. Maybe this is his chance to get his foot in the door and actually _talk_ to Alexander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm running out of pre-written chapters, cruuuuuddddd.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four: Eliza Goes to Class; Alex Says Something He Doesn't Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Schuyler sisters begin their first day and Alex...Well, he has his own adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.

“No one is looking at me,” Eliza said, a powder blue backpack slung over her shoulder as she took in her new school.

Alexander allowed himself a smirk, ignoring the eyes that darted toward him, before taking Eliza’s hand in one of his own and Peggy’s, who was looking on with her mouth quirked up in the corner, in the other. Angelica had already gone in ahead of them to meet her teacher before classes started for the day, leaving Alex and John to guide her sisters to their classes. Not that he blamed her, if _he_ had Mr. Adams first hour, he’d want to get in the man’s good graces as well.

He felt Peggy’s hand drop from his own, reaching for John’s in order to give Alex a free hand to push the door open.

“Really?” Peggy said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “‘Cause, I feel like every eye in this place is on me.”

John shook his head, “don’t worry, they’re all watching Alex and I, not you.”

Peggy watched the crowd before them for a moment, before deciding that, yes, John was correct and relaxed slightly. “Awesome, so where am I headed, Johnny?” John turned to Peggy, answer already at his lips. Meanwhile, Alex turned to Eliza, who in turn bit her lip and stared out at the unfamiliar - to her, anyway - halls.

“You okay?” He asked, softly.

She nodded, squeezing his hand. “These people know nothing about me, I already love it.”

Which was a fair answer, it was what he’d been most excited about too, even though Jefferson had ruined that within a few hours. But he didn’t mention that to Eliza, she knew he was here, but they were both hoping she could keep her head low, at least for a little while.

“We should find your homeroom,” he decided.

Eliza pulled out her schedule and held it between them, trailing a finger along the numbers and landing on room 207.

“Not far,” he muttered, realizing the room wasn’t far from where he was headed. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

“What about-” Eliza turned, “oh.” Peggy and John were already gone, Alex could barely see them picking their way toward the other end of the school. John turned, spotted them, and lifted a hand, smiling. Alex did the same, he’d yet to mention any of what he and Lafayette had discussed and he didn’t plan to, not yet. He wasn’t ready to give up the peace between them just yet, things were comfortable, they were close, why ruin it?

He could practically _hear_ Lafayette sighing in his head- “ _secrets are_ bad _, Alexander. Just because I kept one, does not mean you should!_ ”

He led the way- ignoring Lafayette chastising him in his head-, a nice change from Alex’s first day, when John had led him like a puppy to his first class. Not to mention for a few days after that, as well. Within minutes, they had stopped outside a science room, filled with lab equipment and stools lined at tables, facing a projector. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, but Eliza didn’t seem to mind, stepping inside and taking the open seat near the front. She waved him inside, excitedly examining the equipment lain across the table. Alex wasn’t quite sure what it was, but the contraption had tubes springing from it and vials lined up in a neat row.

“Look around!” She exclaimed, palms pressed against the table as she grinned widely. “Isn’t it incredible? Do you think I’ll get to use it?”

He chuckled, “I’d imagine that’s why it was left out. Are you ready?”

“I think so,” her lips twitched down. “No sign of Jefferson yet, that’s gotta count for something.”

He shrugged, “if you can get through the first day, you’ll be better off than I was.”

“What was the first day?” Alex turned to see Aaron enter the room, Theodosia close at his side. She clutched his elbow, he noticed, briefly wondering if something had happened between the two of them. Alex knew John had been rooting for the two for a while, maybe his ship - is that what Peggy had called it? - had set sail without them knowing.  

“Is this a friend of yours, Alex?” Theo asked, stepping away from her friend - boyfriend? - and smiling kindly at Eliza.

“I’m Eliza,” she took Aaron’s extended hand and shook it, in Alex’s experience, he was always formal, even among friends. “My sisters and I just moved here with our father.”

Aaron frowned, “you wouldn’t be the Schuylers, would you?” He already knew the answer, Alex could tell. “I’ve been following that disaster for a while now, what’s happening with King is awful, it seems no one around here can catch a break these days.”

 _Tell me about it_ , Alex thought, crossing his arms over his chest.

Eliza looked away uncomfortably, Theo looked toward Aaron and lightly smacked his arm. “Aaron, you upset her! I’m sorry, ignore my... _friend,_ he didn’t mean anything by it. Aaron was just curious.”

If Angelica were in the room, Alexander had a feeling she would have let the argument go on, would have put Aaron in his place for even thinking about her family matters, would have been disgusted he even mentioned it. But it wasn’t Angelica, thankfully, it was Eliza and Eliza had never been one to wear a short temper. Instead, she looked up at him, smiled, and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. “It’s all right,” she said. “You spoke without thinking, is all. Alexander does it all the time.”

Aaron looked between them, confused. “Are we thinking of the same Alex?” He shook his head, “nevermind. I’m Aaron and this is my friend Theodosia-”

“Call me Theo,” she cut in, dropping Aaron’s arm. “And you’re more than welcome to sit with us, if you’d like, Eliza. I promise Aaron isn’t usually so upfront.”

A bell sounded from outside the room and Alex shifted toward the door, he’d have to go soon, but it seemed Eliza was in good hands for the moment.

“That’d be wonderful,” Eliza said, before turning to him. “I’ll see you at lunch?”

He nodded, “We usually sit towards the front, but I’ll come find you beforehand.”

With a final goodbye to Aaron and Theo, Alex spun on his heel and left the room. Mrs. Adams, while a kind woman, didn’t tolerate tardiness in any form, so he tried not to make a habit of showing up late, if he could help it.

 

* * *

 

Class passed by as usual, Adams discussed the essay due soon, Samuel Seabury asked to borrow his notes, a quiz was pushed back to next week, things were fine, normal, even. But as Alex arrived to fifth hour, a horrible feeling sprouted in his chest and he shuddered. By now, Jefferson would have heard Eliza was in the building and would be more than pleased, after all, he now had _two_ victims in one place, it would be all he talked about all hour.

Begrudgingly, Alex slid into his seat beside Hercules, who in turn noticed his sour mood almost immediately, and glanced at him sympathetically.

“How’s Eliza?” He asked, apparently realizing the problem before Alex even opened his mouth. A talent he could appreciate, it saved Alex from speaking at when he _really_ didn’t want to.

“She hasn’t texted me, so I assume Jefferson hasn’t tracked her down yet.”

“Then quit worrying, you know John and Laf are keeping an eye out in case he pulls any tricks and from what you’ve told me, Eliza is more than capable of taking care of herself.”

Hercules was right, of course Eliza could take care of herself, with a sister like Angelica, how could she not? But that didn’t stop the fear gnawing at his stomach, writhing and twisting until Alex thought he might throw up during third hour.  

“Besides,” Hercules continued. “You know she would’ve texted you the second she saw him.”

“That doesn’t help,” he muttered, flipping open his notebook, flipping past pages of carefully scrawled notes on the theory of evolution.

“And why not?” Hercules was smirking, having long since decided Alex wasn’t going to be anxious during class if he could help it.

“I can’t help, she’s there, I’m here. What good am I here?”  

“Look, Alex, you’re forgetting one thing.”

“What?”

“ _You’re_ the one with Jefferson this hour, so for the next forty-five minutes, at least, she’s fine. He can’t touch her.”

Alex looked over, unsure. “Where is Jefferson, anyway? He’s usually here by now.” He glanced at his phone, class would be starting any minute now, where was he? Not that Alex minded the silence.

Hercules shrugged, “maybe he’s out sick today? Even an idiot like that catches the flu from time to time.”

“Sounds too good to be true,”

 _Probably because it is_ , he thought.

“Talking about me again, Hamilton? Honestly, you claim to hate me, but you can never shut up about me.”

His heart sank, of course his luck wouldn’t be that good. “You wish,” Alex muttered, diving into his backpack to look for a pen. John had said to ignore him, ignore and he’d eventually give up.

“Come on,” Jefferson whined, dumping his backpack on the chair behind him. “Not even gonna talk to me?”

 _Remember what John said_.

“Back off, Jefferson,” he heard Hercules grumble, not even bothering to look at him.

Alex could practically _hear_ the pout spreading across his face, “awe, but I wanted to talk about _Eliza_ , c’mon, Alex.”

 _Ignore_.

“I heard she’s in town! I’d love to see you both again.”

Hercules was still speaking, “he doesn’t want to talk, accept it and _leave_.”

_He’ll go away._

“But I heard their drama has been better than ever! George King is practically calling for their heads, isn’t he?”

_Listen to Joh-_

Alex shot up, twisting around so fast he thought he saw Jefferson stumble back, just barely. “Leave her out of this,” Alex all but growled. “Don’t talk to her, don’t even _look_ at her...And I told you not to call me that.”

Hercules appeared at his side, resting a heavy hand on his shoulder, “leave him, Alex. The last thing we need is to start a fight, remember what John said? Ignore him.”

Jefferson leered at him, grinning wickedly. “Listen to that boyfriend of yours, Hamilton, we all know you can’t talk anyway.”

Beside him, Hercules tensed, fingers digging into the fabric of Alex’s shirt. “Herc,” he muttered. “Don’t, he’s not worth it.”

“No,” he agreed, not letting his glare stray from where Jefferson stood. “But that doesn’t give him the right to spew crap about you and John, or Eliza.”

Jefferson continued, having decided to ignore Hercules. “Wait...You’re not dating, _right_. Guess even John Laurens can spot trash when it’s right in front of him.” Footsteps sounded at the front of the room and Jefferson released an overly-dramatic sigh, “looks like class is starting, we’ll finish our chat another time, Hamilton. Say hi to Eliza for me.”

Jefferson waggled his fingers at them before strutting back to his desk, tossing an uncaring smirk at Franklin, who was waiting to start the lesson.

 

* * *

 

 

“And then he just _struts_ off like he didn’t do a thing!” Hercules was saying, voice rising above nearly everyone else in the cafeteria.

“That does sound irritating,” Lafayette replied at a calmer volume, yet somehow matching his friend’s angered tone.

“I swear, if Franklin hadn’t shown up…” Hercules went on, muttering angrily to Lafayette about the encounter.

Eliza leaned across the table, traces of a smile evident across her face, despite having heard - very loudly - what Jefferson had said. “Are they always like this?” She whispered.

John leaned in as well, pulling Alex with him. “Basically. I think it’s why they get along so well, Laf’s able to keep a cool head and let’s Herc go off for a little while, then they calm down and...I don’t know, make out?”

Eliza snorted, then darted to the right, narrowly avoiding Hercules’ hand as it gestured dangerously close to her ear.

“You mean they aren’t dating?” Peggy asked, French fry hanging from her mouth.

“Both of you, _shush_ ,” Alex said. “If they hear you, they’ll be stuttering messes for the rest of the day.”

“Would that be so bad? Maybe they’d finally get their act together and, you know, _get_ together.” John said, glancing at Alex’s still full tray. He glanced pointedly at it, before adding lowly, “eat some more.”  

A part of Alex wanted to be annoyed that John knew him so well after only a few short months, that he could simply _look_ at Alex and gather some semblance of what was happening in his brain. Especially knowing how much John kept from him - even if he didn’t know just _what_ was being hidden. But, rather than voicing this, Alex sighed and plucked an apple slice off the tray and made a show of taking a bite.

One of the first things John had learned about Alex was that he lost his appetite considerably after an argument, more so if it involved Jefferson. So, naturally, John picked up on this within weeks of school starting and practically glued himself to Alex’s side, to be sure he was taking care of himself properly, Alex figured. He had to admit though, that he didn’t mind the attention.

John offered up a quick smile, scooting ever closer to Alex and bumping their shoulders before turning back to the conversation. As Alex tried to do the same, a ding sounded from his pocket and he pulled out to see a message from none other than Angelica.

**From Angelica:**

I hate you, Alex, how could you leave me alone with these two???

He looked up, spotting Angelica at the other end of the table, attempting to keep track of Hercules and Lafayette’s conversation as it picked up pace and shifted from plotting against Jefferson to some kind of awkward flirting. She raised a brow in his direction and sent a playful glare his way.

“ _You’re on your own_ ,” he mouthed, turning back to Peggy as she went on about a guy she had met during class that morning. He watched as her fingers searched out another fry, only to find none. Discreetly, he shoved his own pile toward her, after earlier, he really didn’t want to stomach anything, even if John disagreed. Peggy’s face lit up and her fingers were soon buried in the small pile.

Minutes wore by - Eliza and Peggy seeming to take the lead, discussing excitedly between one another - John nudged his side, “can I talk to you a second?” He jerked his head to the side, toward the empty corridor.

Alex agreed and they stood silently, and made their way outside, neither sister noticing their absence. John led Alexander from the lunchroom, taking him by the hand and weaving together through the crowd surrounding them. Break would be ending soon, but after seeing the strained look on John’s face, Alex was willing to miss a few minutes of American History to be sure he was okay.

“What’s going on?” He asked as they came to a stop.

John crossed his arm over his chest and looked to the side. “Can we talk?”

He stood in front of Alex, nervous and uncertain, avoiding eye contact, apparently finding the stained brick wall behind Alex much more appealing.

“What’s wrong?” He asked softly, wanting to reach for John, but finding his arm to be glued at his side.

John let his head drop, hair falling in his face and covering his eye. “There’s just so much going on lately and things at home have been...Rough with my dad. I needed to get out of there.”

He tugged gently on John’s hand, realizing they were still linked from their jaunt through the cafeteria, and they sat against a wall of lockers, colored an ugly beige.

“He hasn’t hurt you, has he?” Alex asked once they had settled beside one another.

He felt John’s head shake from where it rested against his shoulder. “He barely talks to me, much less raise a hand; _takes too_ _long_ , he says.”

“You’d tell me if anything did happen, though, right?” His voice echoes around them, rising over the din of the other room.

John tensed next to him, muscles coiling up like springs ready to be released and Alex wonders if he’ll really say no. Instead, he just mumbles: “Of course, I’ll always tell you.”

“It’s quiet out here,” he comments, hoping to fill that silence. He’d never liked the quiet before, and still doesn’t now. Silences offered too many opportunities, too many chances to screw up what you decide to fill it with.

“It is,” John shifted, eyes lifting slowly to look at Alex. “What happened? Last week, everything felt fine, but now, it feels like the four of us are more strained than ever.”

 _Mention what you heard_ , was his first thought; tell John what Lafayette said. But as he went to answer, he found that, much like before, his vocal cords failed to function, his throat closed up, turned to dust and fell into the dark abyss of his stomach.

John must have noticed because he sat up and smiled at him. “Yeah, I don’t know either,” his face went dark. “I blame Nathan’s killer, he’s hurt all of us...So much.”

“We’ll find him. We have to, I don’t think I’m ready to die,” he said, finding he meant it. “Especially by his hand.”

Something akin to guilt flashed through John’s eyes, “he’s not going to kill you, Alex. I won’t let him.”

“And if you can’t stop it?”

John pinned him with a stare, “then I won’t stop until he’s in jail, I’ll get Laf and Herc to help me, with the Washingtons on our side, we’d find him fast...But that won’t happen, you really think Laf would tolerate you dying?”

He snorted. “If any of us died, he’d be the one barging into the afterlife and dragging us back by the ears, probably lecturing us about the dangers of death and how to prevent it.”   

They laughed, the image of Lafayette angrily marching through the underworld in a rampage until he tracked down his friends coming to mind.

“Do you think they’ve noticed we’re gone yet?” Alex asked, adjusting so that his head rested against John’s hair, stray curls flying into his face.

“Angelica probably has, that girl seems to notice everything; surprised no one has come looking yet.”

“They looked pretty caught up with Jefferson, it’ll be a while. And as for Angelica, just wait until you get to know Peggy, the girl’s a hawk.”

“I noticed, I walked to class this morning, remember? She found the classroom before I did,” John said. “And I’ve been going here for two years; two _years_ , Alexander.”

“Yes, and she’s had five minutes and the internet, Peggy knows what she’s doing.”

John snorted, “fair enough. We should get back in there, though, class will be starting soon and Eliza will worried if you aren’t back.” He sat up, lightly knocking Alex away, but not standing.

He twisted until they were face-to-face, foreheads nearly touching. “It’s loud in there.”

“Don’t like the quiet; don’t like the noise, what _do_ you like, Alex?”

 _You_.

The thought came uninvited, but not unwelcome. John was wonderful, he listened to Alex and actually seemed to care about what he had to say; even when he had trouble saying it. Alex just wished he hadn’t said it aloud.

John went red, as did Alex.

“W-what?”

“Sorry! It slipped out, I-” he tried to pull away, to get out before he embarrassed himself any further, but John’s hand shot out and grasped his sleeve, keeping him in place.

“I think I like you too,” John muttered, the corners of his mouth tugged down, but he didn’t sound upset. “No, I know I do.”

They locked eyes and the room seemed to fall silent around them. “I never thought I’d actually hear anyone say that, much less you.”

They pulled away, just barely, staring at each other like they were meeting for the first time all over again. Perhaps, Alex thought, harsh flourescent lighting wasn’t the best to admire a maybe-boyfriend, but he didn’t care. John still seemed to glow, freckles more apparent than ever, with bright eyes staring right back at Alex that were closer and closer until-

“Guys?”

Alex jumped back, forcing back the yelp forming in his throat. In unison, his and John whipped their heads around; Angelica was watching them from the double doors of the cafeteria, eyes narrowed.

“What’re you up to?” She strode closer, taking in their closeness and the way Alex’s ears were still bright red, and her lips formed a small ‘o’ of surprise. “I see...About time, honestly, you two worse than Lafayette and Hercules.” She glanced over her shoulder, “the others are headed this way, you might want to get up and lose the blush, it’s a dead giveaway, you know.”

Angelica looked between them a final time and smirked, as if giving her approval, before taking a step back and walking away, heels clicking against the tile as she went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, that happened, curse you, Angelica, for walking in on such an important moment. Ah, well, another time perhaps. Thanks, and see you next week!


	25. Chapter Twenty Five: John Is Confused; Alex Isn't So Innocent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John comes to some conclusions on his way to class with Lafayette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advance.

Was it a good idea?

Probably not.

Had he tried it anyway?

Absolutely.

John could still feel Alex in front of him, so close that their breath mingled and all he could see was Alexander. But then Angelica had come, had snapped them apart without so much as a second thought and the moment was over before it had even begun.

It wasn’t her fault, logically, John knew this, but somehow, logic didn’t help much when it had ruined his first kiss. _With Alexander_ , no less. Even if she hadn’t meant it, John still blamed Angelica.

He told all this and more to Lafayette as they walked to their eighth hour, one hand flailing wildly about as he spoke, his injured one hanging limply at his side, aching worse than ever. John had a feeling a pen had flown from his grip somewhere back in Second Hall, but he really didn’t care.

Meanwhile, Lafayette watched with a calm  excitement, a large grin twitching against his lips, clearly waiting to say more, but choosing to wait until John had finished.

“He was _right there_ , Laf. _Right there_.”

“I see, and what did you do after lunch? I thought you two shared the next hour?” Lafayette asked.

John winced, “we...awkwardly avoided eye contact the entire time. James Madison couldn’t tell if it was Jefferson’s fault or ours.”

They stopped at John’s locker and he dug through for his binder. “And what are you going to do now?”

He shrugged, lifting his history book only to see a half eaten sandwich from who knew when. He gagged and kept looking.

“You can’t avoid him, you know. He is my foster brother, so avoiding him will involve avoiding me and, by extension, Hercules. So by dodging something you both _clearly_ want, you are losing your entire friend group.”

John let out a whoop of triumph, yanking a blue binder out from beneath a spare shirt. “I have other friends beyond you guys.”

Lafayette slammed his locker door shut and they continued on their way. “Like who?”

“Like...Like Aaron! Like Aaron Burr, yeah.”

Lafayette looked down at him, doubtful. “You would _willingly_ hang out with Burr over us. Just to avoid Alexander.”

“I don’t want to avoid Alex!” He cried.

“Really? Because, that is what it sounds like. You attempted something wonderful, it fell through, and now you are too scared to try again.”

He looked away, maybe, on some level, Lafayette was right, but he wasn’t about to admit that. “I’ll try again,” he insisted. “Just not right now.”

“So when? Once Alexander finds out what you are keeping from him? I doubt that would be a very good time, I can’t imagine he would be very happy.”

“ _No_. But that’s exactly why I can’t do it, I shouldn’t have even tried to today, not with so many secrets. I can only imagine how that conversation is going to go once I finally tell him.”

He could practically see it, _“hey, Alex! My dad killed your cousin, wanna kiss?”_ _“What?”_ Because that would go over _so well_.

“He doesn’t deserve that, if things are better after this is all over, then we’ll see.”

“You know, John,” Lafayette said. He was no longer smiling. “You will do well to realize that Alexander is not as innocent as you make him out to be. He has secrets, just as you do.”

“What are you-”

“We are here,” Lafayette interrupted. They stopped outside the classroom just as the bell rang and filed inside, taking their seats in the back.

“Seriously, Laf, what’re you talking abou-”

Lafayette interrupted again, pressing a finger to John’s lips. “Just talk to him, that is all I will say.”

The teacher at the front called for the class’s attention, sending a sharp look their way. “We aren’t done with this, Laf,” he whispered.

Lafayette pretended not to hear him and turned his attention to the whiteboard.

John, however, sighed, leaned back in his seat, and began to doodle on the sheet he was supposed to be taking notes on.

He just had to make it to the weekend, then he and Hercules could search the house for evidence against his father, to prove if John was truly correct. The only place left to search was the basement, it was the only other place his father kept locked besides the bedroom, there had to be _something_ down there. If not to prove he had killed Nathaniel, then someone else.

A sketch of Henry Laurens flashed through his mind; the one that had managed to shatter John’s world. He could still remember so clearly Alex calling and describing the man who had attacked him; could remember watching as John’s own hands drew his father’s face on the page. He’d almost been sick after seeing the final result, he had hung up on Alexander only seconds later, claiming there wasn’t enough detail. He’d nearly thrown it away after that, but had kept tucked with some of his other drawings, thinking it could be useful down the road.

A little longer, he just needed to last a little longer. They would find something, then he could call Alexander and come clean about everything, how he felt, how sorry he was to be so secretive, how Henry had killed Nathaniel because…

John paused, a half complete tree formed on his paper, why _had_ Henry killed Nathaniel? The night John had walked in, had first realized something was truly wrong, his father had been drunkenly rambling about John’s mother. But why? What could Nathaniel possibly have to do with Eleanor Laurens?

He sighed again, eliciting an annoyed glare from his teacher, but he didn’t care. He needed to talk to Alex, needed to corner him after school if he could. Maybe Lafayette was right, he and Alex needed to talk, it seemed Alex may _not_ be as innocent as he once thought.

 

* * *

 

 

Alexander was oddly silent as the they made their way to the library..  He shuffled just behind John as they walked, arm loosely gripping his elbow, working very hard to avoid John’s eyes and dodge any question sent his way.

Though, if John thought about it (he didn’t have to think very hard), it wasn’t as odd as he’d like to believe. A kiss. They’d almost _kissed_. Hours later and the idea was still shocking. And, knowing the way Alex tended to overthink things, John had to wonder what was running through his head at the moment. For all he knew, John was taking him to break things off completely.

They settled for a secluded table tucked away from the public eye. Two thumps sounded as they dropped their backpacks and sat down, Alex on one side, Joh on the other. It felt too far, but John decided not to mention it.

Surprisingly, Alex was the first to speak up. “So...Is this about earlier. Because I am _really_ sorry. I should have asked first and I know you’re probably upset. But you were _right there_ and I-”

He cut him off, “ _Alex_ , take a breath, you look ready to pass out.” Alex gulped in a lungful of air and seemed to relax a little. “Anyway, yes, this is about earlier...Well, that’s not entirely true, there’s something else first, but maybe later?” _If we’re still talking after this,_ he added silently. John had no idea what direction this conversation was going to take, for all he knew by the end of this, Alex would know everything. He shuddered.

“Then,” Alex leaned closer, “what _is_ this about? You look anxious.”

“Alex, I need to ask you a question.”

Okay, maybe that was a little ominous, but it seemed to do the trick, Alex’s attention was all on him.

Receiving no response, John went on. “The problem is that I don’t know what the question is.” Alex watched him expectantly, silently prompting him to keep going. “I just...What are you hiding?”

He hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but maybe it was better to lay it all out on the table and wait for Alex to make his move. John just hoped he made it quickly, he’d never been very good at waiting.

Alex stared blankly at him for a moment, confusion clearly written across his face along with- was that guilt? His voice was careful as he spoke, each word carefully spoken, as though one wrong word would set John off. “Have you been talking to Lafayette?”

“He was the one who sent me. He said something about you “not being innocent,” or something ominous like that.”

The confusion cleared, replaced with what was absolutely a flicker of guilt. He barely caught Alex mutter under his breath, “ _I told him I’d talk to you._ ”

“Alexander? What’s wrong? Laf insisted I come find you...What does he know that I don’t?” John’s tone was accusatory and he knew it, he shouldn’t be getting angry, not before he knew what Alex was hiding. But with the way things were going, he had to wonder if Alex was the one who would leave here hurt. In a last ditch attempt at patience, John swallowed and sat back. He asked again, softer this time, “Alex, what’s going on?”

“I still don’t know why he wanted you to know so badly, unless…” Alex trailed off, horror overtook him and his hands start to shake. His voice was barely more than a whisper, “ _Laurens._ ”

“Yeah?”

“No, no, not- her name was Laurens,” his head snapped up, dark eyes flashing. Understanding apparently flooded through Alexander as he shot up, chair scraping noisily against the wooden floor. “I-I am so sorry, I’m sorry, I tried to help, he-he wouldn't let me. I’m _sorry_.”

John stood as well, crossing to Alex and reaching a hand out to rest on his shoulder, but Alex only jerked away. “ _Alexander_ , calm down, talk to me, whatever this is about, it’s okay. Just breath.”

“No! John, it’s not okay, _nothing_ is okay. I-I,” Alex gripped at his hair, shaking harder now. “ _I killed her._ ”

“Wai-”

“I killed her; the accident, I caused it; all of it. It’s all my fault. That’s what Laf wanted to tell me!”

Distantly, John could hear footsteps coming closer to their table, a librarian most likely, annoyed by Alex’s panicked cries. John gripped Alex’s arms, easing him back into the chair and kneeling down to eye level. “Alex,” he said softly. “Tell me what you did. Remember what Laf said? Whatever happened, it’s not your fault, I’m positive.”

“John,” Alex whispered hoarsely. “You don’t understand, _I killed your mother._ ”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again, but we all knew it was coming.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six: Alex Falls Silent; George Does His Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex hides under a desk and talks about John with his foster father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, just in case: Alex isn't doing too well in this chapter, he's pretty upset with himself, so look out in case that upsets you.

Alexander had killed Eleanor Laurens.

Alexander had killed John’s mother.

Alexander had single handedly ruined his best friend’s life.

This was why he had stopped talking in the first place. Every time he opened his mouth, people hurt. Eliza had hurt, everytime he tried to defend her, only to be cornered alone later; Hercules had hurt, defending him from Jefferson, only to be drawn into horrible rumors the very next day; Lafayette had most certainly hurt, fighting against Lee to keep him in America after _just_ meeting him, only to be attacked later. And John. Alex felt sick.

_John._

_John._

_John._

His name a mantra in Alex’s head as he curled up in his bedroom. The lights were out and the curtains drawn, he’d curled up under the desk, back pressed to the wood, not caring about the deep ache now building in his spine.

He had hurt John so, so many times and he hadn’t even known it. He should’ve have just shut his mouth that night, his argument could have waited the precious minutes it took to get home. It was funny, in a sick way, he couldn’t even remember what the fight had been about anymore. Something ridiculous, he was sure.

That night was still so clear in Alex’s mind. Wheels squealing on pavement, metal crunching against metal, pained shrieks that haunted Alex’s dreams to this day. Then Nathaniel was pulling Alex back, keeping him in the car and speeding away, their car in much better condition than that of the other’s- that of _John’s_.

But he also remembered padding through the apartment soon after, pocketing his cousin’s phone and sending a desperate, whispered call to 9-1-1, until he was sure the everyone would be okay, hanging up before they could ask who called.

That didn’t count for anything though, did it? Not when John’s mother had still died that night, had still left John to fend for himself against a cruel and uncaring father.

Tears stung at his eyes and he angrily scrubbed them away. He wasn’t the one who should be crying. He was a killer after all, killers didn’t cry. John was the one who would be crying, the one finally able to properly mourn his mother, the one to finally have a person to place the blame on.  

He let his head fall back, cracking sharply against the desk drawer and winced. A knock sounded from the other end of the room and a muffled voice, “Alexander? May I come in?”

Alex glanced up, calling out a soft yes, expecting to see Lafayette to enter, only for Washington to come in his place. Light briefly flooded in, only to be cut off as the door shut again. Footsteps made their way across the carpet, stopping before Alexander’s hiding place. Washington knelt and carefully sat down, arms resting against his knees, he gazed at Alex, questions clearly ready to spill at any moment.

However, he resisted the barrage Alex could see he was waiting to spill, and started small. “Are you okay? You seemed upset when you came home.”

Alex shrugged, only to realized Washington couldn’t see him in the dark. “John and I had a fight,” was all he said. Talking felt like too much, like he would saying the truth would break him completely; and who knew? Maybe it would. He wouldn’t mind.

“That’s what Lafayette thought. He said he told John to talk to you? What did he want?”

Alex gave a bitter chuckle, realizing they had never actually gotten to what John had wanted to say, he’d blurted out the question, then Alex had lost it. “He wanted to know what I was hiding.” He said quietly, trying his best not to burst into to tears in front on Washington. It wasn’t working. “But I didn’t know I what I was hiding, I swear! I didn’t know it was…” He trailed off. But that was a lie, wasn’t it? He’d recognized the name that first day, even if only vaguely.

He heard Washington scoot closer, leaning beside Alex and carefully wrapping an arm around his shoulders, slowly, as if to give him a chance to pull away. Reluctantly, Alex let himself be pulled close, appreciating the warmth he knew he didn’t deserve.

Washington seemed to be grappling with what to say. Not that Alex was surprised, it wasn’t everyday one found out the foster child they had so graciously taken in was a murderer. After all, if he had already spoken to Lafayette, then he was sure to already know the truth. John would have sent Lafayette a message the second Alex had fled the library, to warn the Washingtons of just who was living under their roof. Alex figured he’d be shipped back to the police station, back under Lee’s bored eye, with nothing but a spare cot to sleep on until Lee finally decided to him back to Nevis.

“Alexander, stop,” Washington’s voice broke through his thoughts, soft and persistent, dragging Alex from the depths of his own mind.  A hand went to his head and Alex felt his own fingers free themselves from his hair, funny though, he didn’t remember moving. “Breath, you’re only hurting yourself.”

Washington pulled away and drew an exaggerated breath, waiting for Alex to follow suit. He did, ignoring the way his chest tightened and more tears threatened to pour.

Finally, after several minutes of repeatedly following Washington’s example, Washington sat back and regarded Alexander curiously. Not unkindly, as he had expected. A small, hopeful part of Alex wondered, _maybe he didn’t know yet?_

“Alex, can you tell me what happened? I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s broken.”

“You can’t fix it,” he said quietly. He heard Washington mutter something, but didn’t catch what. _Nice going, Alex, spend months avoiding him then snap when he tries to help._

“I can try, nothing is irreparable.”

“This is,” he insisted. “It’s my _fault_ , I don’t _care_ what Laf believes, I caused it. I ruined John’s life. It’s my fault Henry is so awful to him.”

Washington was watching him carefully, or at least, Alex thought he was, it was a little hard to tell from beneath a desk. “You didn’t even know John when that started. Alexander, you had nothing to do with it.”

“ _But_ _I did_. Don’t you get it? I was in the other car, the one that killed Eleanor.”

He heard a sharp breath and Washington shifted, away from him, probably. Who wanted to be near a murderer? Maybe that was why Nathaniel died that night, his killer knew what they had done and was after some kind of vigilante justice.

“You were all the way in the city, with your cousin, ho-”

Alex cut him off, “and where were they? In the city, right? John told me once they’d been visiting for the day; they should’ve just stayed home.”

Washington was at his side again, apparently having never moved away to begin with, hesitating only a second before pulling Alex over. Alex only choked back the sob threatening to rip through his throat.

“Phillip mentioned an accident, was this it?” Washington asked, unmoving.

“Schuyler? Yeah, that’s the one.” He was mumbling and doubted Washington could hear him clearly, but Alex kept going anyway. “Nearly cracked my head open on the dashboard, Eliza had a heart attack when she saw it.”

He shuddered, remembering all too well the feeling of his head slamming against the hard plastic, blood had stained the spot for months afterward; was still there as far as he knew. It struck Alex that the car was probably long gone by now, sold for scraps most likely; the car that had helped shape his life to come, reduced to nothing more than a few spare parts. It was funny how life went sometimes.

“Oh, Alex.” Silence enveloped them as Washington simply pulled him closer and held on tightly, as though Alex would disappear if he let go. “John will be all right,” he promised. “He’s never been able to stay angry for long, you’ll be okay again before you know it.”

“I hurt him.”

“John is resilient, all you boys are. That’s not to say he’ll simply ‘get over it’ but he’ll forgive you in time.” Washington reasoned.

“I lied to him.”

“We all lie,” he said, almost guiltily.

”I killed his mother.”

Washington didn’t have an answer for that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late, I'm sorry! Yesterday got really hectic for me and I didn't get home until pretty late, but I'm here now. So, hopefully this worth waiting an extra day for.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven: Lafayette Sees What's Right In Front Of Him; Hercules Tries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lafayette waits for Alexander and has a chat with Hercules.

“ _Non_ , Alexander has not left his room since he returned home.” He gripped the phone tighter. It was late and Hercules would be going to bed soon, the next day was Friday and he was as eager as his friends for the week to end, but not if it meant Lafayette would have to hang up. “I saw Papa go in an hour ago, but I have not seen him leave since.”

He heard Hercules sigh, cleverly disguising the chuckle that slipped out. “So...What, you’ve been camped outside his bedroom for the past,” he could almost hear Hercules ticking off the hours on his fingers, “three hours since Alex came back, on the off chance he decides to come out before Martha forces you to get some sleep?”

“Of course! He is my foster brother, like it or not, Hercules. We have already fought against death together,” he still shuddered imagining such a large man looming over Alex, “and now I will wait until I know he is okay.”

“Besides,” he admitted. “I do not wish to sleep in my room tonight, I keep seeing _him_.”

Just a sigh this time, he heard Hercules’ bed creak through the speaker. “I thought it was getting better? Was it because Alex got upset?”

“Partially, I’ve had to keep the curtains closed all the time now, anytime I open them after sundown, it is like he is waiting for me. I cannot take it and with Alex so upset...I will not let him be alone.”

“Laf,” the mirth was gone from his voice now, leaving only the barest hint of the Hercules from seconds ago, replaced with the concerned friend he’d become accustomed to over the years. “No one is out there, you know that. We were out there just the other day when John sprained his wrist. We went all over those wood, remember? There was no one out there, you saw it yourself.”

He was right, as he usually was, Hercules had always been Lafayette’s voice of reason, the little cricket on his shoulder; his very own, giant Jiminey Cricket. He’d seen the woods, they were empty, at least for now. No one would hurt him. He was safe.

“I saw it,” he repeated. “But I am still going to wait. I want to be sure Alexander is okay.”

“Have you heard from John at all?”

Lafayette stretched back, yawning widely, “ _non_. He has been, ah, radio silent for several hours now. Has he talked to you at all?”

“I haven’t even seen him since lunch,” Hercules told him. “Speaking of, do you know where those two disappeared to? They kinda just _vanished_ halfway through.”

Lafayette grinned wickedly, “oh yes. According to our dear Laurens, he and Alexander got quite...Close in the hallway.”

“ _They did not_ ,” Hercules gasped.

“No,” Lafayette agreed sadly, “it seems Angelica thwarted them at the last moment. It was all John could talk about, I have never seen him so upset over a kiss.”

“I mean...It was a pretty big moment, y’know? His first real kiss, interrupted by none other than Angelica Schuyler.”

“I would not call it his _first_ kiss, after all, I kiss you all often. On the cheeks, of course, but I see no difference.”

“No, you wouldn’t, would you?” He could imagine Hercules running a hand over his face, grinning, just barely. “Listen, Laf, this was different, they almost kissed, that’s huge. That’d be like if you and I- nevermind. Just trust that this is big for them; was, anyway. Who knows where they are now.”

Lafayette stared up at the ceiling, still hoping to catch snatches of conversation from within Alexander’s room, but heard nothing. He was starting to wonder if he would ever come out, Washington had promised he would soon, but how long was soon?

“I see, I just wish I could speak with them. The wait is agonizing,” he groaned.

“Give it time, Laf, give it time. Look, I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“I will be sure to let you know if anything changes here.”

“All right, ‘night, Laf.”

“Good night, Hercules.” Lafayette ended the call and let the phone drop beside him, choosing to watch the door. Surely someone would come out soon and if not, he could try knocking, though he didn’t want to interrupt just yet. He wanted to yell, or hit the wall, perhaps. He just wanted to make noise, to make his frustration known.

Instead, he smacked his head against the floor and waited.

 

* * *

 

 

The next time Lafayette opened his eyes, none other than Alexander himself was peering over him, curiously.

“Laf?” He asked, voice quiet. “Why are you on the floor? It’s getting late.”   

He blinked and sat up, pulling a stray hair pressed against his cheek. “Hello,” he mumbled sleepily. “I was waiting on you to come out.”

Alex frowned, “why?”

“I was worried, of course. You came home in tears, what else was I supposed to do?”

He stood, waiting for Alex’s reply. Alex shrugged, “go to bed like a normal person? You didn’t have to wait up for me...I’m not even that upset.”

“Alexander, you are a terrible liar-”

“Am not!”

“Are too. -but I was going to ask, before I was so rudely interrupted, I have not heard from John since before school ended, did you and John get in a fight?”

Alex nodded and stepped back, he looked more tired than Lafayette had ever seen him. He’d have to fix that, or Alexander would be a zombie at school tomorrow.

“Did you know, Laf?” Alex asked, suddenly. “That’s why you told me to talk to him, you knew this whole time. Why didn’t you say anything? The guilt has been eating me alive for months and all this time I could’ve been trying to fix the mess _I_ caused.” Alex’s voice cracked, just a little, on ‘I’, but Lafayette didn’t mention it. He only nodded, guilty.

“I did not realize it at first, it was only after your break down on the first day of school that I connected the dots. But even then, it was not my place to say...So I encouraged you to talk to one another, though it seems all I hoped was not said.”  

Lafayette stood, stretching, and followed Alex as he wandered back into his room. “What do you mean? ‘Not all you hoped.’”

“Again, I cannot say. Not without wanting to, I assure you.”

He heard Alexander huff and watched as he flopped lazily onto his bed. “Will John tell me? If he forgives me, that is.”

“He will forgive you in time, _mon ami_ , I am certain. Yes, he will tell you, because he knows I will if he takes too long.”

“Tell  me _what_ , you guys are way too cryptic, you know that, right?”

“It is frustrating from this end too, believe me, Alexander.” He laid down as Alex reached toward the light switch, “can we go to bed now? Things will look better in the morning.”

The lights went out and Alex curled up beside him. “If you say so, Laf. Let’s hope you’re right.”

Lafayette yawned widely and pulled the blankets tighter around them, feeling safer than he ever could have in his own room. “I know I am,” _he had to be_.

If the situation with John didn’t get better, he didn’t like to imagine what would happen. John and Alex needed each other, they fit well together and the thought of the two apart made Lafayette’s stomach twist. It would be like- “ _That’d be like if you and I-_ ”

What had Hercules been trying to say earlier?

Suddenly, Lafayette found himself wide awake and, as if sensing his shift in mood in his sleep, Alex sighed deeply and curled closer. Though, while he appreciated the warmth, Alex did nothing to stop the way Lafayette’s heart sped up, just a little.

They’d been talking about Alex and John’s kiss, had Hercules imagined _them_ kissing before?

 _Well_ , Lafayette thought as he gave in to sleep, _this is an interesting development._

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at school the next day, the tension was palpable between Alex and John. Briefly, Lafayette saw John’s eyes flicker to Alex, only to move on the second he realized Lafayette had seen, and a frown replaced the almost concerned expression he had worn. Lafayette had only been able to watch as John and Alex went their separate ways, Alex with Eliza and John with Peggy, leaving him alone with Hercules.   

“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say nothing has changed from last night till now?”

“You are correct, Alex and I were able to talk last night. But I don’t think it helped, at all,” Lafayette told him as they walked to the library- Hercules needed a book for his history report.

“Give it time, they’ll work it out. I’m not sure either of them can handle being away from each other for more than a day.”

“That is what I told Alex last night. Simply give John time to cool down, then he will be able to talk.”

“Listen to your own advice, Laf. It’s better than you think.” They reached the library and Hercules held the door for him, “ _That’d be like if you and I-_ ”.

“ _Later_ ,” he silently told himself. “ _There are more important things to think about right now._ ”  

“You okay, Laf? I lost you there for a second.” Hercules came into view, dark skin and matching eyes, he’d never noticed how lovely he looked in that bandanna.

“Wonderful,” he said, brightly. “Now, what book were you looking for?”

Hercules watched him for a second, as though trying to size him up, before shrugging. “... _Right_ , anyway, this way.”

 _Later_ , he repeated. He would think about this later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I just wanted to say really quickly how grateful I am for all the support this story is getting! Honestly, people have been so sweet and supportive? Honestly, I love all of you guys. I read every single comment and grin like mad every time I see one in my inbox, if I don't respond to one, it's usually because I have no clue what to say (I'm pretty frickin' awkward, whoops) or because anything I have to say would be a spoiler.  
> But, really guys, thank you, I'm grateful to each and every one of you and I'm so sad to say this story will probably be coming to a close soon, though I can't say when. Though, I have plenty of other ideas floating around, some Hamilton, some not, so if you're interested, stick around!   
> (Also, sorry for updating late again, I had club stuff all day and I love my clubs to death, but they can be pretty time consuming. Sorry!)


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight- John Should Say Something; Alex Stays Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John just wants things to be okay again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was a little wonky when I uploaded it? All the apostrophes and quotation marks were replaced with random letters and stuff? It was weird, but if you see any I missed while fixing it, please let me know so I can correct it, thanks!

John should say something, he really should.

He knew this, even acknowledged it.

But did nothing.

He couldn't.

Peggy was tugging on his shoulder as they walked away, clearly aware of the sudden change between him and his friends. But he only ignored her, intent on ignoring Alex's eyes on his back as they left. He dropped her at her classroom, muttering something about seeing her later before crashing in a desk in his own room.

The night before had been a long, sleepless one. He'd sat in bed for hours, staring blankly at his reflection in the window. as though this flipped version of himself could hold all the answers.

He didn't.

It didn't help that John's phone had been buzzing practically nonstop since he had left the library. Most had been from Lafayette, all asking if he was okay and what had happened to Alex (apparently he hadn't left his room for the remainder of the night and John tried to pretend it didn't bother him as much as it did). Lafayette's texts were only rivaled by that of Hercules', who had been sending short, clipped messages demanding to know what had been said and why Lafayette had called him in such a panic last night.

John had tried to ignore both of them at first, hoping that they would give up in time if they saw he wasn't going to answer. Unfortunately, this realization didn't occur to either of his friends until midnight. He'd put his phone on silent around ten and stowed at the other end of the room so he could only the screen light up from beneath a pillow.

So far neither Hercules or Lafayette had tried to track him down, but it was only first hour and he couldn't see either of them being patient enough to wait until the end of the day, so he imagined he would be seeing the boys soon enough.

 

* * *

 

****

Classes passed sluggishly. Normally, he would spend the time texting Alex or Lafayette and Hercules, but of course Alex wasn't an option at the moment and he wasn't quite ready to be interrogated by his other friends. He knew they meant well, Hercules only wanted his friends to be safe and Lafayette strove to keep a peace among them all. So obviously John had to be the one to go and ruin that.

Now their lives were in shambles, not that they weren't before. But, at least then they had faced the wreckage together, now it felt like their little group had split into factions. Lafayette and Hercules working together while John and Alex scrambled to find footing on their own.

Slowly, John made his way to his next hour. Lafayette was in this class as well, so he took his time in a last ditch attempt to delay the inevitable. However, despite his best attempts, when John arrives, Lafayette is there waiting, arms crossed but lips tugged into a sad frown.

He immediately locks onto John and makes his way over.

"John! I have been trying to reach you all night. How have you been?" Lafayette stood close to John, guiding him away from the murmur of the room to the corner. Not quite the meeting he was expecting, but certainly not an unwelcome one.

 He hesitated. "It's been a long night. I'm guessing Alex told you everything?"

"Yes, he did...He was very upset last night. I assumed you were as well?"

"I just found out my mother died by a car with my best friend inside it. What do you think?"

"No need for the sarcasm, John. We are all tired. You have to know by now that he didn't realize, right?"

John ground his teeth together and clenched his fist. "Why are you on his side, huh, Laf? You've known me way longer, shouldn't you be just as upset?" He demanded, ignoring the way his voice cracked on the words.

Lafayette looked down at him, apparently much better at controlling his temper than John was. "This isn't about who has known who longer. I am upset, but I am not here to choose sides, because there are no sides. You are upset, so is Alexander. Now, tell me, what are you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out," he muttered, turning away.

Lafayette cleared his throat, "no more ignoring me, John. You knew going into the library that someone would leave upset, you just weren't expecting it to be you. Alexander never mentioned your father last night, John, so I can only assume you never told him."

The teacher cleared her throat and they made their way to their seats. Lafayette shot him a knowing look. _Think about it,_ it said _._

What _was_ he going do?

Eventually, he and Alex would have to see each other, whether it be in class or because Lafayette and Hercules locked them in a broom closet, whichever happened to come first. Then they would _have_ to talk, something they really hadn't done yesterday.

_"Get out," he muttered. Voice low and eyes dark, John found he could barely look at Alex._

_"_ _John, Alex started, he cut him off._

 _"_ _I said get out." Alex didn't move. "Now!"_

 _Alex was gone before he could blink_.

Keeping his temper in check were certainly prove to be a challenge. It was one of the few things he'd gotten from his father's side of the gene pool, but unlike his father, John worked to keep a lid on his anger rather than let it take over. Yesterday had been the exception, clearly.

But when? John wasn't sure he was ready to face Alex yet, even if it hadn't been on purpose, Alex had played his own part in his mother's death and hadn't said anything, _for months_ . And who was to say Alex was ready to face _him_? The guilt had been clear enough yesterday and if Alex had been as upset as Lafayette said he was, he couldn't see any conversation they tried to have going well. Not to mention, as Lafayette had so kindly pointed out, Alex still didn't know about Henry.

"He wouldn't want to talk to me, anyway." He muttered to Lafayette once the lesson was well underway.

Lafayette looked up from his notebook. He rested his pencil against the spine before speaking quietly. â€œI am inclined to believe otherwise after spending half my night listening to him cry and shake at the very thought of you hating him." His expression showed that of annoyance, but his tone suggested otherwise; soft and patient.

"I yelled yesterday, I told him to get out."

"Then let him back in, I believe this will be easy to fix. You are just scared to do it."

John looked away, instead choosing that moment to start taking notes. "I'll talk to him at lunch, okay?"

He didn't receive a response after that, but John could have sworn he saw a small smile playing on Lafayette's lips.

****

* * *

 

 

Lunch came and went, and Alex was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared somewhere with Eliza just before John arrived, according to Hercules. John thought he saw Angelica texting Eliza at one point, but when asked, Angelica shook her head and didn't look at her phone for the remainder of the hour.

Peggy reminded him that they had the next hour together and suggested he try then. So, when he walked in, John immediately locked in on Alex nodding mutely along to something James was saying.

"Alex!" He called. He hurriedly placed his books on the desk and twisted to face Alex. Alex shrank into his desk, James shifted an arm just barely in front of him, as though in a minute protective stance. "James, could we have a second?"

James frowned, but gave Alex a knowing glance and turned away.

"I get it," Alex muttered, barely audible against the noise of the classroom. "You don't want to see me, but we have assigned seats, it's not like I can move."

"No, that's not...Look, can we talk a second?"

Instead of looking at him, Alex ducked his head, hair falling over his eyes. "I think you said everything you needed to yesterday."

"I didn't mean that, I was upset and surprised and I'm sorry." He said quickly. "Can we- can you tell me how it happened? Please?"

John watched as Alex slowly brushed the hair from his eyes and turned to look at him, "I-what?"

"I'm not mad," he promised. "Well, I am. But not at you, you didn't know and I shouldn't have exploded like I did."

"I helped kill your mother, John, of course you were mad. I did the same thing when mine died."

"I still shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry, really."

Alex nodded, "can we be okay again? Yesterday was awful, I don't like not having you around."

"Same here. Yeah, we're okay. We're okay."

"Good."

"Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really like this chapter, I feel like it moved too quickly, but oh well, they can't all be winners. Also! As you can probably guess, this story is going to be ending soon, however, I've got several other stories in the works for other fandoms at the moment, so stick around if you're interested.


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine: Hercules Snoops; John Finds The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Hercules make their way into the basement.

The weekend found Hercules in John’s livingroom. Despite not having been inside his house for several years, John’s house seemed mostly unchanged, aside from the mantle now lacking any evidence of Eleanor Laurens’ existence. The only photos there now were of John’s eighth grade graduation and an uncle Hercules had met once in the sixth grade only to never hear of him again.

From the dining room, Hercules could hear the low murmur of Henry Laurens discussing business with a few associates. John was upstairs, searching for the key to the basement so they could dig around for evidence. The plan seemed risky with Henry in the house, but John swore he would be distracted enough to not hear them rather than risk waiting on him to leave and not know when he would be back. Besides, Hercules figured he was big enough to keep them both out of harm’s way if worst came to worst.

He had texted Lafayette that morning to tell him the details of their plan, only to receive a bunch of exclamation marks in return, along with a demand to stay safe and catch him up later. Lafayette had been acting...Strange, lately. Back in the library, during Alex and John’s fight, he could have sworn something had changed in Lafayette, like he had come into the library a different person. It was just that no one but Hercules seemed to notice.

He looked up as John came bounding down the steps, a small key in hand. “Ready?” He asked, brandishing the key like a prize of war.

Hercules nodded and they made their way into the kitchen where the basement door waited. “Where did you find that key, anyway? That seems like the sort of thing Henry would keep hidden, especially from you.”

“I found it awhile back,” was all John’s offered. He jiggled the lock and soon, the door was swinging open. “Let’s do this.”  
Slowly, they descended. One step at a time, they went deeper into the ground and painted plaster walls were replaced by chipped, grey stone. The stairs beneath Hercules’ feet were creaky and unstable, but managed to hold both his and John’s weight.

They reached the bottom and a light flicked on. John turned, he twisted his hands nervously and glanced around. “Where do we start?”

The basement was fairly empty, old furniture sat piled in one corner, while an array of old baby toys and plastic bins was placed in the middle of the room. Hercules’ eyes landed on a filing cabinet in the corner, he motioned toward it. “That seems a good a place as any.”

“What are we looking for, anyway?” He asked as John pulled at the handle.

John shrugged, “dunno, whatever screams ‘I killed a man,’ I guess.”

“A corpse would great for that.” He said.

“The police already have that, we just need to find what made it a corpse.”

“Of course. Here, move, I’ve got this.” He pushed John to the side and started to pull on the drawer, yanking until a broken click sounded through the basement and the drawer was sliding open at a semi-awkward angle.

“Now that you’ve managed to brake it,” John muttered. He reached up to pull the first pile of papers out.

“Like you were getting anywhere, now, what’s it say?”

He watched John scan over the documents in his hands, then frown. “There are all receipts, they’re useless. What else is in there?”

Hercules reached in and pulled out a second stack, this one thicker than the first. “Well, this certainly look incriminating.” He muttered, noting the worn spine and plethora of papers bursting from the folder.

“Who cares how it looks, just open it.” John leaned in close and peered over Hercules’ shoulder as he carefully opened the folder. The papers nearly falling as he did so, practically spilling into Hercules’ elbow.

“I’m working on it, do you see how full this thing is? Let’s see…” He shuffled through, searching for anything familiar.

“Stop!” John said after a moment. He pulled away and pointed to the paper Hercules had been about to toss away.

He scanned across the page and stopped at the bottom where John’s finger rested. Nathaniel. “That’s Alex’s cousin, right?”

John nodded and Hercules’ watched his lips mouth along to what he was reading. The page was covered in Henry Laurens’ handwriting, first in the lines, but soon bleeding into the margins and crossing over previous sentences.

“This is it,” John said after a moment, before snatching the remainder of the stack and spreading them across a desk. “This is the key to all of it, we need to get this to the Washington’s, they can help, right?”

“John,” he said quietly, “slow down, we haven’t even read all of this yet, let’s go through it, then get help, okay?” Obnoxious laughter sounded upstairs, at least Henry was still busy. Carefully, Hercules began to flip through the papers, this stack was thinner than the other had been, but was filled with painstakingly familiar photos and names. His stomach flipped every time he saw the name ‘Alex’ or ‘Washington’.

It was difficult to read the entire stack, but its purpose quickly became clear, the top page was a synopsis of what Hercules assumed was Henry’s plan to kill Nathaniel, detailing his apartment number to when he would be home, though, looking through, Alex must have been an unknown factor, because he wasn’t mentioned once throughout it all. Beneath it, were photos of an old apartment building, somewhere up in the city. The scene of the crime, Hercules decided.

The next pages made John tense beside him, the first were three photos, one of the Washington house, sometime during the day, another of Lafayette and Alex walking into school, and the last one-

“That’s the night Alex and I saw him out the window.” John muttered angrily. He jabbed a finger toward the picture, “look, that’s us in Alex’s bedroom, you can see us sleeping.”

John wasn’t wrong, grainy though the photo was, Hercules could just make out the window in the middle of the night, two forms could be seen on the bed inside, one looked like it was in the midst of sitting up. Alex.

Hercules took the pictures and set them to the side, they’d take them later. He lifted the next sheet, this one much like the first, only shorter and more organized. The information at the top was simple: a name, an address, and a date set for next Wednesday.

A thump came from upstairs and a clamor of voices could be heard making their way to the front door.

“We have what we need, let’s go.” John said, tugging on Hercules’ sleeve with his uninjured hand.

“I’ll call Laf later and tell him to get Washington, we have to stop this.”

John stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked at him, “my own father is planning to kill my best friend and anyone else who gets in his way, what else would we do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late again, I'm so sorry! It's been a really long week and I'm trying not to make a habit of posting late (with kinda crummy chapters) but stuff keeps coming up that keeps me from writing. So yeah, sorry again, see you next Friday!


	30. Chapter Thirty: John Waits; Henry Lurks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving the basement, John waits anxiously to see his friends.

Henry Laurens was a murderer. The logical side of John reasoned that this should terrify him, should send him running for the nearest police station and shoving the evidence under an officer's nose until they listened to him.

And yet...

Yet an odd calm had fallen over John. Hercules had left nearly an hour ago, taking with him the photos and documents, promising to keep them safe until they could get to Washington later that night. Originally, John had wanted to take what they found over right away, but Hercules had to get home, something about babysitting. It was funny really, how life seemed to continue around them even in times of crisis. 

Reasoning that Henry wouldn't try anything in the daylight and Alex wouldn't be in any immediate danger, they agreed to meet at the Washingtons' under the guise of a spontaneous sleepover, no one would question it, they'd done it often enough at this point. Then, John shuddered at the thought, they would have to find Washington and spread what they found before him. They would work from there.

Lafayette had apparently already been caught up via Hercules, judging from the way John's phone had hardly ceased chiming with alerts for nearly an hour now. A few had come in from Alexander as well, who seemed mostly clueless to the situation, all of which seemed to ask what was happening and why Lafayette had become so grim. But John didn't answer, not trusting himself not to explain everything then and there. He figured finding the identity of his cousin's killer wasn't something that should be told over text message. 

Instead, John spent the time pacing in his bedroom, running through everything he and Hercules would say when they got there. He figured it would be better to get straight to the point, Washington had always been a very forward man and he figured that would stand true even now. They'd start with how strange Henry had been acting, the jumpiness, the secretive motions. Then, the photos, the papers, the link to it all. He could almost see Washington's face, grave and set in stone. His eyes would narrow like they did when he thought they were up to something. Only, this time they would be directed toward Henry not John or any of his friends. 

John could only imagine Martha's reaction. For a small woman, she held more emotion in a single moment than John would in his entire life. It was scary, really. Though, with whatever lie ahead, it was likely to be useful as well. He knew Martha and she wouldn't let anything happen to her kids. Not now, not ever.

John stopped and sank against his bed, running a hand through his hair. He flinched as his fingers caught against a curl. It was barely past five, but he'd need to leave soon. Driving to the Washingtons' didn't take long, but Henry wouldn't be driving him. Hercules would be meeting him halfway as it was, so he wouldn't be going completely alone, at least part of the way. 

He stood again. Crossing the room, John dug out his overnight bag and set about filling it. He made sure to take an extra change of clothes, just to be safe. Who knew where he'd end up this weekend. Or afterward. 

John didn't have anywhere else to go, no family he could think of would be willing to take him on not with Henry's soon to be reputation. No one wanted a killer's son in their home. The Washington's would let him stay for a while, but he couldn't impose on them forever. Hercules' mom loved him, but with so many kids already, there was no way she could let him in. 

Shoving a final pair of jeans in the already stuffed bag, John darted for the door and down the steps. If he left now, he'd be able to meet Hercules at Theo's Place before it got dark.

Bag slung over his shoulder, John began to make his way downstairs. He didn't expect Henry to say anything, he never did. Why would this time be any different?

Only, when John reached the bottom step, he was met by Henry waiting in the living room. He was watching the fireplace as fire crackled and tore at the wood. He turned at the creaking steps. 

"John!"� He cried, not bothering to stand, but turning his head in John's direction.

John froze, muscles tightening and jaw locking. "Yes, Dad?"�

"Where are you going?" Now he asks? Any other time and Henry didn't care. The one time it counts...

"To Al- to a friend's house." He began to move for the door. "I'll be back tomorrow." _No, I won't,_ he thought. _Not if this works out_.

He heard Henry rise, shocking. He appeared in the doorway, frowning. "Why?"�

"We-we have a project in history due soon,"� he mumbled, not meeting his father's eyes.

"You never mentioned a project."�

_ You never asked _ . "I forgot," he said instead.

Henry was shaking his head, looking almost annoyed, as if he possibly cared John hadn't said anything. "No, go back upstairs."�

John blinked and Henry ran a hand over his jaw as he turned back to the living room. "We have a project to work on," he spluttered. "I  _ have _ to go."�

Henry only shook his head, barely glancing John's way. "You should have worked on it during the week, I want you home tonight."�

He swallowed a frustrated groan, "Why? This is important...We've been working on this for months."�

"Forget it, John."� His father let out an angry huff. "Go up to your room."�

"But-"�

" _Now_."�

John took a step back, forcing down the anger building in his chest. Henry watched him go, watched as backed from the room and up the steps. Later then, he'd just have to sneak out. Even if he stayed home tonight, Henry was usually passed out by eleven. He could leave by eleven-thirty, be at the Washington' by midnight. 

He let the door slam shut behind him and dropped his bag. John walked to the window and slowly lifted it. The screen had fallen out years ago after a bad storm hit, leaving the window to lead directly outside to the tree growing there. It was a bit of a drop and would be more difficult considering his arm was still in a brace and ached if he moved it the wrong way, but if worse came to worse at least he'd have a way out.

Sighing, John pulled out his phone. Might as well let Hercules know there was a change in plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'll start this off with an apology, I wasn't able to update last Friday, as you may have noticed. I'm really sorry about that, the school year has been getting hectic and I lost track of time. Because of that though, I'm afraid to say I'm not going to be able to keep up a once a week schedule, there's just too much going on for me to keep that up at the moment. Don't worry, I have every intention of finishing this story, I've invested way too much time into to give up now! It'll just take a little longer than planned.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Welcome to the story and all that.  
> Let's just get a few things out of the way real quick, then you can move on with your life, promise.  
> First of all, I plan to update regularly (the first few chapters are already written out and I've got a bit planned as well), but if for some reason I don't, I apologize in advance.  
> Secondly, I'm aware that quite a bit of the legal matters in this story are not factually correct. Unfortunately, I'm having to work off what I know (which isn't much), so again, I apologize. But please, bare with me, I'm doing the best I can.  
> Finally, please know that the way I present the characters in this story isn't necessarily how I see them. Take Charles Lee for example, in this story, he's shown to be rude and generally a jerk. But honestly, I don't have anything for or against the guy. I just used him as a bit of an enemy because I know that in the musical, Lee wasn't the biggest fan of Washington and Alex didn't like him either, so I used him as a side enemy.  
> Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I don't want people to hate, or think I hate, a character because of how I choose to present them. So please, let's keep the hate to a minimum.  
> Anyway, if you've stuck around to read all this, thanks, I promise not to write this much later on. Enjoy the story and I'll see you later!


End file.
